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October 31, 2016 If you are adopting cover crops start with a plan that includes the right species, right planting date and right planting method. And don’t hesitate to do some experimenting on your own. Adopting cover crops for many growers is a challenge because they invest too little time and effort. For others the additional risk and management associated with cover crops may be too threatening to even get started. However, there are other growers... |
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October 28, 2016 Nutrient use and its fate can now be tracked using the NuGIS model. In order to account for nutrients to adequately supply crop needs, while at the same time being better stewards of our environment, it is important to maintain a balance of nutrient inputs, removals and losses. The Nutrient Use Geographic Information System (NuGIS) provides a complete collection of the components of nutrient application and utilization on a geo-tagged... |
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October 27, 2016 In recent years, soybean yields in Illinois have been exceptional, leading to questions on whether technologies have caused a "jump" in soybean yields. While the 2016 state yield will be an outlier, it is too early to say that a new regime of soybean yields exists. Relative to corn yields, soybean yields must increase more to have the same relative yields as in the early 1970s.... |
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October 26, 2016 This article was updated on November 28, 2016. Unfortunately, soybean cyst nematode (SCN) isn’t being talked about much anymore. It is known to be the #1 threat to soybean yield around the world, and in the North Central U.S. we have been depending on the PI 88788 source of resistance in 95% of our seed market share. A smaller percentage source of soybean resistance against SCN comes from Peking, PI 437654, or combinations.... |
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October 25, 2016 URBANA, Ill. – The Midwest, blessed with rich soils and abundant precipitation, leads the country and the world in corn and soybean production. It also contributes the majority of the nitrate load in the Gulf of Mexico, leading to its large low-oxygen “dead zone.” Nitrate applied to farm fields also winds up in local drinking water supplies, which must be removed at a major cost to municipalities. Fortunately, there are ways for farmers to... |
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October 24, 2016 Make it a habit to recap what happened in each field during harvest and after it is over. All soybean seasons present some challenges, but this year will break conventional yield expectations because there seemed to be timely rains that helped the crop along. But, maybe there was a bit too much rain and too much rank vegetative growth which may have kept growers from breaking the 100 bushel ceiling. As you harvest and analyze... |