FUNDED BY THE ILLINOIS SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION CHECKOFF PROGRAM.

Ashley McEwen

Stay Safe During Harvest Season

Harvest is a fun time of year, where you can see what hybrids/varieties did well, what trials outperformed others, and where your hard work paid off. Don’t get complacent and think that every day is going to have the same result. Stay alert, have a great fall and most importantly, stay safe.

By |September 22, 2023|

What’s Your Fall Fertilizer Plan?

Harvest is moving right along, and some fall fertilizers have already been put on or are going to be applied as harvest ends. Usually there are two types of fertilizer plans: the plan that is the same every year or the plan that utilizes soil tests and previous crop removal rates to determine nutrient needs. For the latter plan, it is best to soil test in the summer and fall because potassium results are the most reliable. Testing is recommended every four years at a depth of seven inches. Before sampling it is important to decide on a sampling [...]

By |October 21, 2020|

Stay Safe This Harvest Season

I know you’re thinking this might be another repetitive article about basic, common sense information. But it’s that very mindset that increases the likelihood of farming accidents. Most accidents happen in the peak of the season when everyone is tired from the long days and little down time. Optimal weather conditions and daylight hours seem to be at a minimum and the time to get the year’s crop out shrinks as the year comes to a close. This issue is personal for me because I lost my grandfather in a combining accident this past December and it has forever [...]

By |September 22, 2020|

Potassium’s Critical Role in Soybean Production

Potassium is critical in determining soybean yields as it supports protein synthesis, turgor potential and stomatal function, and increases enzyme activation. Potassium deficiency starts by yellowing at the leaf tip and continues down the leaf margins to the base; symptoms start on older leaves first. Photo credit: fieldcropnews.com In soil, the majority of potassium is not readily available. Thus, applications must be made to support the plant. This is critical because once deficiency symptoms show up during the growing season a corrective treatment doesn’t return on the investment. For the future soybean crop, potassium fertilizers can be added to the [...]

By |September 3, 2020|

All About Nodules

What do they do? Soybeans are self-sufficient in their ability to fixate a large percentage of their own nitrogen, a unique ability provided to them by nodules. Soybeans fixate Rhizobia bacteria, causing swelling on the root system. The nodules’ process begins shortly after emergence while the root system is developing. Studies have found that fixation can start after the first trifoliate leaves unfold. The development of nodules on the roots will continue up until the R5 growth stage. Nodules take nitrogen gas and turn it into plant available nitrogen. If an environment is unsuitable for nodules to live and [...]

By |July 21, 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|

PODCAST: Soybean Replant and Late Planting Considerations

CCA Soy Envoy, Ashley McEwen, joins the podcast this week to give an update on soybean planting and replanting from her area of Illinois. We also discuss considerations for those last few acres of beans to be planted. Listen to learn more. ILSoyAdvisor Podcasts · Soybean Replant and Late Planting Considerations

By |June 18, 2020|

Soybean Replant Factors

So far 2020 has brought Illinois agriculture several challenges that could impact the quality of a viable soybean stand. When making replant decisions, it’s important to understand what happened. In some fields, it’s taking anywhere from six to almost 30 days for a soybean to emerge. What caused a poor stand?  Many of the poor stands in Illinois this year are due to soil conditions at or following planting that were not ideal, dropping below 50 degrees F; the soils are cold or saturated. Seed treatments typically last for up to three weeks helping to prevent diseases, seedling blights [...]

By |May 30, 2020|

Don’t Forget To Check on Stored Grain

As the 2020 planting season is upon us, it’s important to remember and check on the stored grain from fall 2019. A lot of the harvested grain from last fall is still being stored, awaiting more favorable market values. Both soybean and corn are at their best quality when going into a storage bin. It is critical to manage the quality from this point forward until the grain is moved to market. A lot of time is going to be spent over the next few months tending to the current and upcoming crop. However, it’s imperative to stay proactive [...]

By |April 29, 2020|
Go to Top