ILSoyAdvisor Blog

There are vast differences in the crop growing season from Northern to Southern Illinois. These differences can cause challenges in the establishment and growth of a cover crop. In Northern Illinois, spring weather conditions warm up later and harvest tends to be later in the fall past the appropriate time for seeding cover crops and an earlier killing frost typically occurs. In Southern Illinois, spring conditions arrive much earlier and...

At the end of the day, the yield of soybeans is determined by the number of pods per acre. The greater the number of pods, the higher yield. And soybeans can potentially bear a lot of pods however they will easy abort as much as 60% of flowers or small pods, especially when plants are stressed.

Calcium plays several roles in plant structure and metabolism. It is an integral part of cell wall structure, carbohydrate movement and...

When you or your agronomist sends soil samples to a laboratory, they measure all the bases—include K, Ca, Mg and Na. And not only do they report the extractable levels they also calculate the base saturation (B.S.,) which compares the amounts of each to the others as a percent. The only base missing is hydrogen (H), which if included would total near 100 percent. 

There are a few competing philosophies concerning soil chemistry and...

The United States is blessed with a remarkably productive agricultural landscape. Cropland, pastureland, rangeland, and woodland support a regionally diverse food and farming system capable of ensuring domestic food security. Agricultural land contributes to state and local economies, supplies lucrative export markets, and bolsters the nation’s balance of trade. These exceptional natural resources sustain valuable wildlife habitat, provide...