Considerations for insecticides in a post chlorpyrifos world
Chlorpyrifos is an insecticide in the organophosphate (OP) (IRAC-1B) group that has been in use since 1965. To put that in perspective, in 1965 Mike Ditka, Dick Butkus, Doug Atkins, and Gale Sayers were all starters for the Chicago Bears. This insecticide interferes with nerve signaling by preventing the breakdown of acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter molecule, in insects. Products with this chemistry (e.g., Cobalt, Lorsban, Stallion, numerous others) were used widely in food and grain crops due to the broad-spectrum insecticidal activity and highly translaminar activity of the chemical in plants. Unfortunately, some of the properties that made this [...]
WEBINAR: Soil Health Tests – What, Why and How?
1 CEU in Soil and Water Management
ISA Presents Premier Agronomic Events for Illinois Soybean Farmers
Illinois’ favorite soybean events are back and registration is now open! Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) is excited to announce the return of the Better Beans series, and the 2022 Soybean Summit, both of which will return to in-person formats. The Better Beans event series brings local soybean knowledge specific to farmers’ regions, offering up the chance to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and conditions affecting them directly. Participants will receive agronomy insights for their soil, planting tips for their regional weather and much more. These events will take place: January 20 in Sycamore, Illinois; January 27 in Decatur, Illinois; and [...]
The Importance of Grain Estimates in the Marketplace – Why Are We Showing Our Hand?
At the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) we take pride in providing reports of agricultural commodities to the public in an unbiased manner, at a pre-determined time. With so much riding on agricultural commodities that provide food, feed, and fuel for the United States and other countries, many of our reports are highly anticipated in the marketplace. With respect to this price discovery impact, NASS works hard to ensure that estimates are as accurate as possible and to protect the confidentiality of information until the exact second the data are released to the public. Once a NASS report is [...]
Program Application Deadlines
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced deadlines for several program applications in early 2022. Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) - Agricultural and Forestland EQIP is one opportunity for assistance through NRCS for agricultural and forestland producers to address natural resource concerns. With EQIP, producers have succewssfully addressed natural resource issues on their farms. Some EQIP activities include installing structures to address gully erosion, improving pastureland diversity by interseeding, and improving soil health by increasing orgranic matter with cover crops. In addition to conservation practices, EQIP funds the development of conservation plans. New plan options are available this [...]
Better Late Than Never
For most of us, planning the 2021 crop year started in earnest over a year ago. We planned the work, then we worked the plan. Unless you farm in the very northern region of Photo taken early December 2020. the state, most plans included completing harvest by the end of October. Yet here we are with a portion of our corn and soybeans still standing waiting for drier crops and fields. Some of us had included planting cover crops either for the first time, or as a continuing practice. I fall in the latter category. As we have become [...]
Viewing Your Yield Data Through Different Lenses
As harvest begins to wrap up and our minds shift towards next year, for many of us that brings opportunity, optimism, and perhaps a bit of concern. With rising input costs, we as growers are going to be forced to make some tough decisions between economics and agronomics. As an agronomic consultant and grower myself, when those decisions come up for our operation, I look to my yield data to help guide me. Sometimes it takes looking at our yield data through different lenses though to help make those decisions. (For reference, I am using AgLeader SMS Advanced as [...]
Post Harvest Evaluations and Assessments
This article was originally published in the September issue of Illinois Field & Bean. View the article here. Harvest has always been a crowd favorite. Whether it’s the humid heat of summer being replaced by crisp, autumn air, or the end of year holidays peeking out on the horizon, harvest tends to bring with it a sense of happy endings. But as any farmer knows, the work doesn’t stop even after the crop is out of the field. In fact, as farmers wrap up in the field and park the combine in the machine shed, there are several things [...]
NASS Series: The Basics of NASS Reports
Hello everyone. My name is Mark Schleusener and I am the Illinois State Statistician for USDA- NASS. I hope that each of you have had a safe and bountiful harvest so far. If you are still running the combine, please be careful and put safety first. The IL Soybean Association asked me to write a series of blog posts and I’m glad to do it. I really appreciate the opportunity to connect with Illinois’ soybean farmers. I hope I can answer some of your questions and provide insight into how NASS operates and why we conduct our surveys of [...]
Diary of a Soybean – Entry 3
Hi there! Max, your favorite blogging bean is back with a final report on the 2021 growing season.
and then