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Favorable weather, strong genetics and good on-farm management all contributed to the successful soybean crop in 2016, with record yields in many areas throughout the state.

Emerson Nafziger, Ph.D., professor of crop sciences and extension agronomist at the University of Illinois, discusses this season’s weather patterns and summarizes research focusing on crop rotation, tillage, maturity, plant height, nitrogen application and seeding rate.

Key Takeaways:

• Weather: Temperatures and rainfall were average in 2016. Timely rains and lack of stress led to high yields across Illinois.
• Findings from the research trials conducted at the University of Illinois:
  • Crop rotation: Yield was highest for soybeans when planted after continuous corn.
  • Tillage: Tilled fields yielded slightly higher than no-till fields in the research trials.
  • Maturity: Earlier maturities yielded more than later maturities.
  • Plant height: Taller beans yielded slightly less—about 9/10th of a bushel for each extra inch of height.
  • Nitrogen application: Supplemental nitrogen applications showed inconsistent yield benefits, regardless of application timing.
  • Seeding rate: 140,000 – 150,000 seeds/acre is a safe seeding rate.

1 CEU in Crop Management is available for this webinar. Visit the Certified Crop Adviser website to self-report your credit after viewing the webinar recording.