All Posts by Dan Davidson
Agronomy: Are Soybean Blends Making a Comeback?
April 14, 2015
Planting StrategiesPlanting seed blends isn’t a new concept. In the past, companies sold blends to combine seeds of different characteristics in a field to produce the highest yield.
Plant & Soil: Investing in Potassium Is Profitable
April 09, 2015
Nutrient ManagementSoybeans require a lot of potassium, about 170 lbs. to produce 70 bushels. The soil either has a sufficient reserve or it doesn’t. And recent evidence points to increasingly insufficient reserves.
Agronomy: Does Variable Rate Seeding Pay in Soybeans?
April 03, 2015
In-Season AgronomyThe technology for variable rate seed has been around for about 15 years.
Agronomy: Does Variable Variety Placement Pay
April 02, 2015
In-Season AgronomyVariable rate planting technology has been around a long time now. We have the technology to create planting zones and deliver seed based on these zones.
Agronomy: Climate Impacting Soybean Yields
April 02, 2015
Harvest StrategiesA recent report in the scientific journal Nature said changes in climate are costing U.S. producers $11 billion in lost yield.
Agronomy: Applying Starters on Soybeans
March 31, 2015
Planting StrategiesSo, can you apply a starter fertilizer on soybeans and, if so, what are the rules?
Agronomy: Dropping Potassium Levels in Illinois
March 31, 2015
Nutrient ManagementParts of the Corn Belt are experiencing significant potassium declines due to greater than anticipated crop removal due to the high yields coming off fields. Unfortunately, fertilizer rates haven’t increased significantly to compensate and soil test levels are increasingly below critical values.
Agronomy: How to Manage Lodging Risk
March 27, 2015
Nutrient ManagementPlant height has been shown to be positively correlated with both yield and lodging. Soybeans can get too tall and lodge. Yet if soybeans are too short, the pods are closer to the ground and harder to retrieve with a platform head.
Agronomy: Spring-Planted Cover Crops
March 25, 2015
Sustainability PracticesThere is a lot of interest in planting cover crops. Obviously, the best time to plant them is after wheat, vegetables or silage because you have a long window of growth ahead of you before the next spring-planted crop.
Diagnostics: Should You Plant Naked Beans in 2015?
March 25, 2015
Planting StrategiesAre seed treatments a necessary input expense in 2015? Seed treatment, depending on product combinations, can cost from a half bushel per acre to a bushel and a half an acre, so will you get enough from your acres in return?