All Posts from 2018

After the planter is parked for the season it is time to make observations of emerging and developing crop. Early scouting trips provide a look at how the crop begins the season and the potential for growth the remainder of the year. Soybeans seem to receive less attention after planting during early vegetative growth stages than corn but as more soybeans were planted this year and interest in increasing soybean yields is increasing, take...

Iron deficiency is not as common in Illinois as other parts of the Corn Belt, particularly in states like the Dakotas, Nebraska, Western Minnesota and Northwestern Iowa due to the presence of either poorly drained or tight clay soils with high pH, and calcareous soils.

Symptoms of iron deficiency are chlorotic leaves, hence the name “Iron Deficiency Chlorosis,” or IDC for short. The primary symptom of iron deficiency is interveinal...

ILeVO Halo Effect
The Halo effect is associated with ILeVO-treated soybean seed. Regardless of the halo severity on early leaves, stand is not affected, the plants will recover, and the crop will be protected against early SCN and SDS.

Show in Image 1, the ILeVO Halo Effect is a discoloration of the outside edges of the cotyledons. We have seen this every year since ILeVO was launched, so most growers are...

It’s been a fast and furious spring here in south-central Illinois. The first half of April was a wash and what seemed to be an endless pattern of heavy rains and cold weather. The sun finally came out to play. It didn’t take too many 20-hour days, and before I knew it, all the ammonia was on and 90 percent of the corn and soybeans were planted in about 12-days.  But as the dust settles, it still amazes me how quickly we can put in our crop...

The decision about when to plant a soybean field is very important, because it will set the stage for how well the crop emerges and if it will ultimately establish a vigorous stand. In recent years there has been a movement to plant soybeans earlier to take advantage of early season sunlight accumulation (building more nodes and canopy to capture more energy).  

Considerations for balancing the art and science:

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If you double-crop soybeans after wheat, and want to your soybean crop to yield respectably, you must manage the previous wheat crop and the following soybean crop. 

Over a decade ago I interviewed some growers in southern Illinois who double-cropped soybeans mostly after wheat. One of the things I determined was that the growers focused primarily on growing wheat and maximizing its yield and soybeans were left to fend for themselves...

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