NCSPA Announces Summer Bookkeeping & Accounts Internship
The NC Soybean Producers Association is seeking applicants for a paid internship in bookkeeping and accounts for the summer of 2021. Please see the full details of the position below.
Maximizing Soybean Yield through Maturity Group and Planting Date Selection
Soybean growers across N.C. plant soybeans in a wide window (March – August) and across a wide range of maturity groups (II – VIII). But being strategic about planting date and maturity group selection can help maximize yields. While weather plays a large role into which maturity group by planting date combination will yield the…
What can gross margins tell us about prospective plantings?
Every year, on March 31st the USDA releases its prospective plantings report – the first official glimpse into where acreage will shake out for the coming year. The report is based on grower surveys performed in the first two weeks of March and the timing of its release is a function of fairness, i.e. everyone…
EPA Denies NC Request to Extend Dicamba Application Period
Despite hard work by NC State Extension, the NCDA, Farm Bureau, and the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association to demonstrate a track record of responsible dicamba use in our state, on March 15, 2021, EPA officially denied NC 24(c) Special Local Need labels for Engenia, XtendiMax, and Tavium that would have moved the cut-off date…
Investing in the Future of the Agriculture Industry
The North Carolina Soybean Producers Association is dedicated to investing in research projects that help farmers increase both their productivity and profitability and over the last few years the Association has funded a number of exciting projects to get growers thinking about the crop a little differently. Some of those projects include investigating maturity group…
NC Ag Workers Eligible for Vaccines
Governor Cooper announced yesterday, that starting as early as today, March 3rd, Group 3 Frontline Essential Workers in NC are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. This includes those working in the ag industry such as: farm workers, meat packing workers, food processing workers, migrant farm/fishery workers, food distribution and supply chain workers, and restaurant…
Value of a Fungicide Seed Treatment in NC Soybeans
As many growers across NC shift to earlier planting dates, the necessity of fungicidal seed treatments (FST) to protect soybean yield at earlier planting dates arises. FSTs can be used to protect seedlings from pathogens, some of which are more problematic in cool, wet conditions encountered earlier in the planting season. Common seedling diseases include…
Interest in Soybean Exports Picks Up at the Port of Wilmington
The last several months have ushered in some exciting developments for North Carolina soybean exports. In January, Scoular announced they would be building a high-speed container loading facility at Wilmington, a reflection of the compelling economics of containerized exports from NC, and the culmination of a series of meetings and conversations between the Nebraska-based company…
Importance of Variety Selection and a New Tool to Help
Proper variety selection is one of the most important steps a soybean producer can make. It is important to devote some time to selecting the right variety for the right environment as this decision is one of the first steps to maximizing yields. If we compare the top 10% of soybean varieties grown within a…
Combating Soybean Seed Quality – Can Fungicides Help?
2020 was been challenging on all fronts, to say the least, and one of the challenges we faced this past year was poor seed quality in early planted/early maturity group beans. According to a survey conducted by Dr. Rachel Vann, there was anywhere from 5-30% damage seen in fields planted prior to mid-May. One of…