In modern production agriculture, it’s important that we look at the big picture of how to manage yield-robbing pests. It’s human nature to gravitate toward the practices that are either cheapest or the easiest. However, in the long run these selected practices may end up costing more. We must evaluate the short- and long-term impact of the decisions we make. IPM, or integrated pest management, consists of a host of tools that are available...
All Posts from 2020
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April 11, 2020 |
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April 10, 2020 By Todd Steinacher and Jessie Shoopman
Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, we all need to do our parts and practice social distancing. At the same time farming doesn’t stop, so here are five steps you should take to prepare for the spring while protecting your and your communities’ health.
1. Prepare for... |
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April 10, 2020 What is the most important nutrient for a soybean crop? Depending on who you ask, potassium, nitrogen or manganese might be the answers you receive, but it is really a trick question. There are 17 nutrients required by plants to carry out the essential biological functions that ultimately lead to a harvestable crop. While they are required in different amounts, your soybean crop craves them all. Essential nutrients include those that... |
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April 09, 2020 As Dr. Below from the University of Illinois has proven to us time and time again, weather has a significant impact on the quality of a crop, its development and its final yield performance. Over the years we can pick out specific periods where weather had a major effect on crop growth, such as 2012 and 2019.
Weather can directly impact planting decisions and needs to be evaluated for potential replant risk. Over... |
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April 08, 2020 As we move closer to the 2020 growing season, one key decision that Illinois growers are making is which soybean herbicide trait platform to use on their farm. In addition to non-GMO options, there are currently three primary systems from which to choose: LibertyLink® GT27, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® and Enlist E3® soybeans. When used correctly, all of these platforms can lead to effective and successful weed control. However, they all come with... |
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April 03, 2020 Over the past 15-20 years, the agriculture industry has evolved and become increasing complicated. These complications can result in very high rewards while also creating significant environmental impacts and financial risk. There are currently 13,000 Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs), including 1,200 from Illinois. If you don’t currently consult with a CCA on your soybean management practices, you should consider it because individuals who... |