There are many benefits to adding cover crops into a rotation, including the potential for increased profit, reduced inputs, reduction in herbicide use, improved water filtration and erosion control and runoff prevention. Learn more in THIS ARTICLE about why cover crops are worth considering.
Details
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
Drones are impressive technology to be sure, but how can farmers use them to be more effective? They can be useful in scouting for weeds and pests, measuring crop health, monitoring water damage and evaluating weather damage just for starters. Learn more about how drones can help improve efficiency in THIS ARTICLE from USB and…
Details
It’s never too early to start thinking about soybean variety selection for next year and now is the perfect time to get to see different varieties in the field. NC State conducts official variety testing (OVT) and Dr. Jim Dunphy plants variety demonstrations each year. This means there are over 15 locations across the…
Details
Sprayer technologies, including variable-rate application technologies, sensors and control systems for site-specific crop management, can help farmers improve effectiveness while reducing inputs and costs. THIS ARTICLE FROM USB explores technological advances in spraying technology, how the advances benefit farmers and new technologies on the horizon in a Q&A with Joe Luck, Ph.D., assistant professor of…
Details
U.S. soy has grown significantly since the formation of the checkoff in 1991. The value of the U.S. crop has grown from $11 billion then to almost quadruple that in 2014 at $40 billion. The increase has been fueled by an increase in demand, due in part to the efforts of the checkoff to create…
Details
With over 50% of the North Carolina soybean crop now in reproductive stages, it’s time to begin thinking about how disease pressure may affect the yield of your crop. Scouting is critical to determine which diseases are present and if a fungicide application may be helpful in protecting yield. A number of…
Details
Many problems can occur during the reproductive stages of soybeans, including insect feeding, stunted pods or damage or discoloration to leaves and stems. And, there are many potential causes too, from pests to a virus to a fungus. Check out THIS ARTICLE from United Soybean Board to see some common problems with soybeans in reproductive…
Details
Hundreds of farmers congregated at Middle Creek Farms in Engelhard for the annual Black Land Farm Managers Association Tour. Despite a heavy rainfall the night before, farm owner Dawson Pugh had the vast demonstration plot area in great condition. Dr. Jim Dunphy has the “Cadillac” max yield trial on this site, and Dr. Dunphy presented…
Details
Last week we looked at the performance of a number of different foliar products tested in 2015. Click here if you missed Part I of this series. This week, in Part II of the series, we will be looking at the potential return on investment with these products. Although some products did give a yield…
Details
It’s more important than ever to make sure that any pesticides or herbicides a farmer sprays are accurate and as sustainable as possible, not to mention that their application is one that makes sense financially. Innovations in spray technology can help with this by allowing farmers to apply the resources more precisely, and as a…
Details
The 2016 Northeast Ag Expo (ncneagexpo.com) on July 28 at the Lynn Hobbs farm in Hobbesville was a great event for learning and for seeing lots of our friends. Thanks to the staff from the five counties for a thoughtful agenda and for finding such a well-tended location. Just to name a few of the…
Details