Four Ways to Trim Costs in 2016

With soybean prices predicted to be lower in 2016, it’s more important than ever for farmers to look at ways to lower costs. In fact, one farm management specialist from the University of Illinois recommends cutting costs by $100 per acre to remain profitable. Some areas to consider are farm machinery and capital purchases, fertilizer,…

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Four Questions to Ask Farm Data Providers

The marketplace for data-driven products and services is seeing rapid evolution in the field of agriculture.  The benefits for farmers are already well-recognized.  For starters, data helps farmers recognize trends with greater certainty, it can help validate decision-making and it leads to improved production practices immediately or over time. It also enables farmers to streamline…

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FoodCon 2020

The sixth annual FoodCon 2020 was held here in Raleigh last week. The business schools of NC State University, UNC and Duke University to serve as co-sponsors for the one-day event. The main goal for the conference was to bring a diverse audience of students, business professionals and community leaders who share an interest in…

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Foliar Yield Enhancements

One question we get often is about products that claim to improve soybean yields and profits. NC soybean farmers are presented with a variety of products that claim to boost their yields and the NC Soybean Producers Association has worked with NCSU Extension to evaluate these products over the last 6 years. The goal of…

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Foliar Fungicide Research Project Results

This article is the second in a series about research the NCSPA conducted with funding from soy checkoff in 2014 and 2015 to investigate fungicide application, timing and effectiveness. This post presents the results of the research projects. It is important to review the findings in the context of the weather in 2014 and 2015.…

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Foliar Fertilizers: Are They a Sound Investment? – Part I

Growers are constantly being hit with information from products that advertise their ability to increase yield, specifically, foliar N, P, K, and micronutrient fertilizers. Is in-season fertilization needed for “catch-up” in a soybean crop and are these products consistently a sound investment for an operation? Research from groups across the United States over the last…

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Florence Agriculture Disaster Program

On October 15, 2018, the NC General Assembly established the Hurricane Florence Agricultural Disaster Program of 2018. This program is a one-time assistance program from producers who had losses occurred during the storm. The program will be administered by the NC Department of Agriculture. Applications must be submitted from November 7th to December 10th, 2018 to receive assistance. The program…

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Flag the Technology

  With two new herbicide-resistant technologies widely available this season, it is now more important than ever to know which fields are safe for which applications. Also, warning the applicator (or other growers in the area) which fields will be sensitive to off-target drift is critical. A simple mix-up by an applicator on which field…

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