Soy in Motor Oil? The Engine Is Getting Started

Thanks in part to checkoff-funded research, motorists could have a new choice in motor oil in a few years, made from high oleic soybean oil. Biosynthetic Technologies received a key certification for the oil recently and a pledge for a $100 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture so they can break ground on…

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Palmer amaranth Control in Soybeans

A cool, wet spring, followed by heat and sun has led to the perfect storm for weed development over the last few weeks. As weeds begin to grow, timeliness of post-emergence applications is critical to suppressing weed populations and protecting the soybean yield. While there has been some late-season horseweed in soybean fields this year,…

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Management Practices to Combat Resistant Weeds

Herbicide resistance is a real and growing threat, but there are steps every farmer can take to help combat the problem. A plan to battle herbicide-resistant weeds should be put in place from pre-planting through harvest, taking steps to eliminate weeds along the way. And, dealing with these weeds involves more than herbicides. Solutions such…

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Farmers Share How They Take Advantage of Data

There is an ever-growing amount of technology and data available to help farmers be more efficient and more profitable. However, sometimes it can be difficult to know how to manage and use all the data available to make the best decisions. Check out THIS ARTICLE from USB sharing the stories of two farmers and their…

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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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Are Fungicides Worth The Cost?

This post is the third article in a series reporting the results of a research project funded by the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association through the soy checkoff to begin to answer the question “are fungicide applications a smart investment?” To do so, the project examined the cost of each product coupled with the application…

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Want Higher Yields in 2016?

In North Carolina soybeans are often thought of as purely a rotational crop and not one that produces large profits. With over a million acres in the state, soybeans occupy 25% percent of the field crop acreage in N.C. Average yields in the state are about 35 bushels per acre, only 70% of the national…

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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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Getting the Most from Double-Crop Beans

For soybean growers who are double-cropping this year, harvest of the small grain crop and time to plant beans is nearly here. CLICK HERE TO GET ADVICE from Virginia Tech extension agronomist, David Holshouser, Ph.D., on planting and management practices to maximize the potential of double-crop soybeans.

Do Foliar Fungicides Pay and When?

“Should I apply a foliar fungicide and if so, when?” is a question North Carolina soybean growers struggle with every year. Application of a foliar fungicide can help reduce disease pressure and protect yield potential, but they are costly. With low commodity prices, growers are looking to reduce costs. Are fungicides a smart investment? To…

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