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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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was in North Carolina last week and representatives from the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association had the opportunity to attend two listening sessions with him. The visit was part of a multi-state listening tour focused on important agriculture and rural improvement issues. The first session was a panel at…
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Did you spot the use of soy while watching the Olympics? The 17 days of competition took place in host city Rio de Janeiro, where the three electrical transformers powering the games were built with Cargill’s Envirotemp® FR3® natural ester fluid, which is soybean-oil based. Power utility company Light, which already uses FR3® in its…
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A recent article in Farm Progress stated that global demand for soybeans has risen by more than 241 percent since 1990. By comparison, corn and wheat demand grew by 130 percent and 37 percent, respectively, during the same period. This is just one example of the positive impact farmers’ checkoff dollars is having on their market…
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Soybean growers use a variety of sustainable farming practices, and a recent survey from USB showed that four out of five are implementing at least five different sustainable practices in their farm operation. The most used sustainable practice was crop rotation, with 93% of farmers responding they reporting they do so. Nutrient management and reduced…
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Soy growers often get questions from people about soy and their health, such as whether GMOs are safe, whether soy increases the role of breast cancer or whether soy can increase feminine traits. Growers may not know always know the answers, but can rest assured soy is safe and healthy. These concerns are largely based…
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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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