Seed treatments have gained in popularity over the last few years, but are they a smart investment for soybean farmers? And if so, what kind of treatments are your best options? You are faced with many choices of products that can be placed on the seed. With millions of dollars are spent on seed treatments…
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Seed is one of the most expensive inputs for soybean growers, so it’s essential to plant the right amount of seed to minimize input costs while still maintaining high yields, especially in years like this year where prices are low, and margins are tight. Numerous seeding rate studies carried out across the U.S. suggest that…
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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…
DetailsSen. Kay Hagan introduced a bill last week to clarify that pesticide applications are regulated by Congress under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and by EPA under the Clean Water Act (CWA.) A U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in 2009 determined that applications over or near water required a CWA…
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From Jim Dunphy, Crop Science Extension Specialist (Soybeans) and Lindsey Thiessen, Extension Plant Pathologist Asiatic Soybean Rust has been confirmed on soybeans in Bamberg County, SC, which is a little closer to some of our NC soybeans than had previously been confirmed. This find is approximately 140 miles from Charlotte, 345 miles from Elizabeth City, 175 miles…
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From Jim Dunphy, Crop Science Extension Specialist (Soybeans) and Lindsey Thiessen, Extension Plant Pathologist Although Asiatic Soybean Rust may be moving up the Mississippi River valley pretty rapidly, it seems to be moving more slowly up the east coast. This week, rust was confirmed in Arkansas County, AR, Caldwell County, KY, and Williamson County, IL,…
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2018 has been a challenging year for many North Carolina soybean producers and many are still harvesting, but as the season comes to a close it is never too early to start to think about putting practices in place to increase yields in 2019. Farmers should consider the following for their management plan as they…
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If you heard Randy Dowdy at the Annual NC Commodities Conference this year then you probably heard him say: “Don’t HOPE what’s going on, KNOW what’s going on.” Do you know what’s going on in your soybean plants each year? Do your soils have adequate fertility and more importantly are the plants able to access…
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Make plans now to join Agriculture Commissioner Troxler, the N.C. Farm Bureau, commodity groups and more to bring awareness to the legislature about the importance of agriculture in North Carolina at Ag Awareness Day. The schedule for the day is: 9:00 a.m.: Shuttle buses run from the Exposition building at the N.C. State Fairgrounds to…
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Heading to Washington, D.C. this summer? Make sure to stop by the National Museum of American History’s newest exhibit called “American Enterprise”. The exhibit highlights the role of innovation and business in building America from the mid-1700s to today, and obviously a big part of that story is the role of agriculture. The soy checkoff…
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A small investment in soil testing can pay big dividends in helping to reduce input costs, and yet less than half of farmers say they test their soil regularly. Soil testing should be a regular part of any management plan because the information gained is so valuable to knowing what types of nutrients the soil…
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SCN causes U.S. soybean farmers $1 billion in losses each year, so it’s a good idea to take steps to protect yourself from the threat. Before planting begins is a great time to test your soil to see if you have SCN and have time to react before it becomes a problem. Farmers should also…
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