Scouting for Disease

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 diseases are common…

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Scouting for Insect Pests

Walking and scouting fields is important for a number of reasons but as we move into July, identification of insect pests is key to maintaining maximum yields. I recently met a bed bugs exterminator expert who told me that understanding the insect population in your field, allows you to formulate the most effective and profitable…

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Scouting for Pod Feeding Insects

With greater than 80% of the soybean acreage in North Carolina setting pods, now is the time to be on the lookout for pod feeding insects. Pod feeders are the most dangerous insect pest as they directly attack soybean yield by feeding on the seeds/pods. Corn earworm and stink bugs are the two most serious…

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Secretary Perdue Visits NC

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visited North Carolina on Monday to survey the damage from winds and flooding brought on by Hurricane Florence. Congressman David Rouzer joined Secretary Perdue and USDA’s Cheif of Staff & NC native Ray Starling. The team spent the first part of the morning, riding through eastern NC to see the effects that…

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See For Yourself Program Applications Due 4/1

Are you interested in learning more about the soy checkoff and what is funded with the investments made by soy growers? United Soybean Board’s See For Yourself program is a great way to experience firsthand what the checkoff does, and get more information about customers for soy beyond the elevator and marketing soy. This year’s…

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Seed Situation in N.C.

Soybean seed supply is limited for 2016 plantings.  The extremely limited supplies will be in maturity groups 6 and 7, and supplies of late group 5 seed may also be very tight.  Watch for announcements from the seed companies in the coming days about seed availability, germination rates, and incentives.  Expect some suppliers to tag seed…

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Seed Treatments – A Smart Investment?

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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Seeding Rate

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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Seeing Lots of Friends at Northeast Ag Expo

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…

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September 15 Soybean Rust Update

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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