ILSoyAdvisor Blog

This webinar will explore how Illinois farmers are using cover crops to strengthen their conservation cropping systems. Specific strategies for integrating cover crops with corn and soybean production practices that promote soil health, water quality and profitability while minimizing risk will be emphasized. 

Presenter: Joel Gruver, Associate Professor of Soil Science and Sustainable Ag, Western Illinois University

Dr. Gruver...

Once a soybean seed is placed into the soil, it is Mother Nature’s job to provide an opportunistic mouth to feed on it. Whether it is a bean leaf beetle feeding on the cotyledons or seedling disease such as Fusarium reducing the stand, let’s face it - Mother Nature does not care about cash rent rates or grain market values. That means it’s up to us to better understand how a soybean plant works and what the major items are that need strong...

We are about three to four months away from bringing out the dedicated soybean planter and starting to plant the 2021 soybean crop. At this point, I hope the question is not whether or not to have your soybeans treated, but what to have them treated with and where will they be treated. Seed treatments have been on the market for many years now and has had a strong adoption amongst progressive growers.

It’s hard to prove if a seed...

Sometimes soybean product guides are like yield maps - pretty pictures, but they do not get much use.  However, just like that yield map, a product guide can produce valuable insight on how to manage a given soybean genetic line. Soybean varieties are typically selected based off their performance in yield trials or contests. But how often do farmers understand the do’s and don’ts of their high-yielding, selected soybean products?

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