Soybean growers in Pitt, Green, Lenoir, Wayne, Duplin, Sampson, and Robeson counties are eligible to apply for a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grant program through your NRCS office. This special program is led by Smithfield Foods and the Environmental Defense Fund to help grain farmers improve their productivity, profitability, and sustainability. SmithfieldGRO,…
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The use of fungicide seed treatments is on the rise, with an estimated 60-70% of seed planted in 2014 being planted with a treatment as compared to just 30% in 2008. But, whether or not seed treatments are needed or will help with profitability depends on a variety of factors, such as weather, planting date,…
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Crop rotation has been a cornerstone of sustainable farming for thousands of years, but the practice has become more complex. There are many factors that today’s farmers need to consider when developing their rotational plans. Seth Naeve, Ph.D., University of Minnesota associate professor and extension soybean agronomist, provides a list of the most important below.…
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June is here which means wheat harvest has begun and it is time to get soybeans in the ground. About 60% of North Carolina soybeans are planted, which means 40% of the crop will be planted in June or July. Typically planting in late June or July does not allow enough time to develop sufficient…
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As we move into the heat of summer, wheat harvest is wrapping up and the majority of soybeans are in the ground. About 80% of North Carolina soybeans are planted, which means 20% of our crop will be planted in June or July. Typically, planting in late June or July does not allow enough time…
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2020 has been challenging on all fronts, to say the least, and one of the challenges we faced this 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 the…
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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…
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As we wrap up 2017, it’s also time to start planning for 2018. One of the most important decisions a grower can make is which varieties they will plant. An important part of selecting a variety is selecting which (if any) herbicide tolerance is used. If you decide to use the dicamba tolerance technology (Xtend…
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Recent advancements in precision agriculture and data analytics have paved the way for the next important step forward in agriculture: incorporating big data on the farm. While the idea of using big data for agriculture may sound complex, it boils down to analyzing all the data generated on the farm to reveal insightful patterns and…
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Finally wrapping up harvest? Once it’s completed, you might start thinking of what needs to be done for next year. Weed management is a task to think about any time. Richard Zollinger, extension weed scientist at North Dakota State University recommends four after-harvest weed-management practices you can do now that will give you a head start on…
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With Tropical Storm Hermine coming through North Carolina last weekend, Dr. Jim Dunphy warns there is a good chance of rust spores coming into North Carolina. As the storm crossed the Florida panhandle there is a chance it picked up and carried rust spores to our state as it passed through. In the next two…
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A disclaimer before we start: We do NOT recommend planting soybeans back-to-back year after year. Planting any crop back-to-back year after year increases the potential for pests and problems to build up. You may not see these problems after one year, but eventually, something will become an issue…
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