From the office of Jim Dunphy, Crop Science Extension Specialist (Soybeans) and Lindsey Thiessen, Extension Plant Pathologist This morning, Asiatic Soybean Rust was confirmed on soybeans in Colleton County, SC. One pustule was detected on one leaf out of 50 examined. The soybeans were at stage R4 (full length pods in the top four nodes of…
Details
Soybean growers need to be careful about how deep they plant their seeds this growing season because, if not, they may see delayed emergence or even decreased yields. Michigan State University (MSU) researchers say that generally, soybeans should be planted at shallower depths, between 1 and 1.5 inches deep, under the following conditions: Early planting…
Details
Weed scientists often see farmers making similar weed management mistakes. Fewer herbicide options and more herbicide resistant weeds make it critical to understand where the pitfalls are and how to avoid them. Here are some of the common mistakes and how to avoid them: Fewer herbicide options combined with more herbicide-resistant weeds could equal disaster…
Details
2017 was a good year for soybeans in North Carolina and across the Southern US. We tied our state record yield of 40 bushels/acre and nine counties averaged 45 bushels/acre or more. Kudos to all of the farmers and agronomists who worked hard all season to make this happen (along with some favorable…
Details
As the end of the growing season nears, many growers are anxious to get their soybeans out of the field and into a bin where they are safe from the elements (especially after Matthew last year). Once soybeans are physiologically mature, nothing good is going to happen to them in the field. In addition, there…
Details
Palmer Amaranth or pigweed is one of the most difficult weeds to manage. Is it a problem in your fields? Here are some tips to help: Consider planting LibertyLink soybeans. Controlling herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth in Roundup Ready soybeans has been a challenge, but LibertyLink soybeans offer more flexibility. Start clean! Make sure that all herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth…
Details
It’s almost that time of year again, meeting season time. Winter meetings are a place to pick up technical advice and pointers on crop inputs from Extension specialists and industry professionals. They are also a good time to visit with other growers in the area and learn from them as well. I would strongly encourage…
Details
Want more information about herbicides and herbicide premixes to easily see what their mode of action is? CLICK HERE for an updated herbicide classification chart grouped by modes of action. This will help with maintaining greater diversity in herbicide use and rotating effective herbicides with different sites of action to delay the development of herbicide…
Details
As the weather finally dries out and you continue with #plant18, our researchers are too! Each year, the NCSPA sponsors research projects throughout the state to investigate practices and products that will help increase your bottom line. In 2018, the N.C. soy checkoff is funding over 20 research projects and demonstrations that will help provide…
Details
Starting this week we will be discussing some important management decisions for 2018. Over the next few weeks well tackle a variety of topics including planting dates, seeding rates, row spacing, and more. But I’ve decided to start with weeds because proper weed control is one of the most important components of a soybean production program.…
Details
We continue our 2018 Management Decisions series this week where we tackle plant populations. At this point, most of you have selected varieties and purchased seed, so one of the next things to think about is soybean seeding rate. Conventional wisdom says planting high populations will ensure maximum yields, but actually, this is not always…
Details
Next up in our Management Decisions series we talk row spacing. But first, if you missed our articles on weed management, seeding rates, or planting date catch up by clicking the links. Row spacing is something we get a lot of questions about and the truth of the matter is a wide range of row…
Details