FUNDED BY THE ILLINOIS SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION CHECKOFF PROGRAM.

June 2020

Accrual vs Cash: What’s the Difference?

How often have you received your tax return back with a Schedule F for your farm operation that doesn’t reflect anything close to what you had expected? Did you think “I know I made more money than that?” or “Where did all that money go?” In this article we are going to explore the reasons why your cash basis and accrual farm income aren’t the same and why understanding the difference is extremely important when making management decisions. What’s the Difference? Let’s start with the differences in the cash and accrual accounting methods. Cash accounting is exactly that—your cash [...]

By |June 30, 2020|

Negotiating Nutrient Needs – Soybean Nodulation

Nitrogen nutrient requirements for soybeans are much less than they are for corn (total volume/acre). Why is that? Soybeans require every essential nutrient that other row crops do, but they can “produce” their own nitrogen (N). Like a few other plants, soybeans are a legume crop, which means they form a symbiotic relationship with Bradyrhizobium bacteria that use the plant sugars in return for nitrogen. Nodules forming on soybean roots. Credit: United Soybean Board First, let’s start with what this will look like on the soybean roots. The process is initially started by the root when it releases compounds [...]

By |June 29, 2020|

Balancing Beneficial Insects in Soybeans

Insects are everywhere. For every man, woman and child on the face of the earth there are 200 million insects. In honor of National Pest Week, which is June 22-28, I thought I’d write my article this month about insects in soybean production. When you hear the word insect, many people have a negative reaction. While there are certainly several insect pests in our world, there are generally many more beneficial species—that keep the populations of crop pests well in check—that we tend to glance over and not acknowledge. Lady Beetle Lara about to prey on aphids. Credit: Mississippi [...]

By |June 27, 2020|

Stem Canker Management

This article was originally published on the Soybean Research & Information Network, a checkoff funded website. Stem Canker is a disease of soybean in the United States and Canada where infections occur primarily on the lower portion of the stem. Multiple fungi in the genus Diaporthe cause the disease. However, identifying and managing stem canker is similar regardless of which fungus is involved. There are similarities between symptoms of stem canker and other late season diseases, including White mold, Phytophthora stem and root rot, Sudden death syndrome and Brown stem rot. Field symptoms of stem canker can also look [...]

By |June 26, 2020|

Phytophthora Root and Stem Rot

This article was originally published on the Soybean Research & Information Network, a checkoff funded website. Phytophthora sojae is one of the most destructive soybean pathogens in the northern growing regions and a major cause of stand establishment problems. Seeds and seedlings can be infected and killed at any time after the seed has absorbed moisture. The fungus also infects plants later in the season following periods of heavy rain, causing stem rots or chronic root rot. Phytophthora root & stem rot develops quickly in warm, saturated soil. Phytophthora sojae belongs to a group of organisms called Oomycetes, also [...]

By |June 25, 2020|

What’s Bugging Your Soybeans?

As the growing season gets underway, there are several insect pests that could be bugging your soybeans. While there is definitely a mixed bag of defoliators and pod feeders as you scout throughout the season, here are a few you might come across. Bean Leaf Beetles. Adults overwinter near bean fields in woodlots or along fence rows. They become active in the spring when temperatures rise above 50⁰ and can be found feeding on soybean foliage soon after emergence. Adults lay eggs in the soil and larvae will feed on root systems for a few weeks before pupating. Two [...]

By |June 23, 2020|

2020 Fungicide Considerations

The 2020 season has developed into a very challenging year—and that was before the planting and replanting issues. Earlier this season national and international demand for corn and soybeans slowed down drastically, which dropped the current CBOT future prices $0.70/b under what federal crop insurance set the spring price for. So over the next month the question will undoubtedly come up, with a late planted crop and low market values would a fungicide application on soybeans be profitable? Protecting yield and increasing profitability Reasons to apply: A fungicide treatment is not a steroid; it won’t boost a soybean yield [...]

By |June 21, 2020|

Frogeye Leaf Spot Management

This article was originally published on the Soybean Research & Information Network, a checkoff funded website. Frogeye Leaf Spot (FLS) is the most important foliar disease of soybean, especially in the southern U.S. The disease has been occurring more frequently in northern soybean-growing areas and has increasingly suppressed soybean yields in the northern U.S. in recent years. FLS is caused by the fungus Cercospora sojina. Young soybean leaves are most susceptible, while older leaves tend to be more resistant. Leaf symptoms are first noticeable after plants begin to bloom. Infection occurs during warm, humid weather with cloudy days and [...]

By |June 20, 2020|

Balance Sheet Benchmarking: Know Your Numbers

Creating a balance sheet is one of the first and most crucial steps when considering the health of your farm and potential changes in your investments. A balance sheet evaluates total assets minus total liabilities, showing an operation’s net worth. The truth is that looking at the balance sheet can give clues to areas of strength or weaknesses. Keep in mind that MANY factors should be considered when reviewing the financial stability of an operation. As the manager and CEO of your farm operation, you have the ability to calculate and evaluate key financial characteristics that are found within [...]

By |June 20, 2020|
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