When it comes to weed control, growers must use every tool in their toolbox to fight the battle. One of the often overlooked tools is ensuring maximum herbicide efficacy through time of spraying. Over the last few years, a number of different research groups from universities across the Southeast have been looking at the impact…
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With over 75% of the North Carolina soybean crop flowering and 50% setting pods, now is the time to start thinking about how disease pressure may affect your crop. Getting in the field and looking for foliar or stem diseases is critical to determining what diseases are present and if a fungicide application is needed.…
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As much of the soybean crop begins to move into reproductive stages, it’s time to start scouting for pod feeding insects. Our common pod feeding insects include corn earworm and stink bugs. In some areas of the state, stink bugs seem to be a real problem this year. And, corn earworm traps across the state…
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Proper variety selection is one of the first steps in producing a high-yielding, healthy crop. Choosing an appropriate variety is one of the most important decisions a soybean producer will make and one of the hardest because there are so many varieties available. Each variety has specific strengths and weaknesses that make it more- or…
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We will post information on USDA Farm Service Agency, USDA Risk Management Agency, USDA Rural Development, USDA NRCS and other agencies and programs offering disaster assistance to farmers. Hurricane Matthew made a greater than anticipated impact on central and coastal North Carolina and with rivers and streams continuing to rise as floodwaters drain to the…
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Everyone knows scouting for insects is an important part of best farm management practices and helps to minimize yield losses, but what do experts recommend in terms of scouting? Read this article from the United Soybean Board to find out: http://unitedsoybean.org/article/researchers-weigh-in-on-top-three-insect-scouting-tips-to-minimize-yield-loss/.
Proper variety selection is one of the most important steps a soybean producer can make. It is important to devote some time to selecting the proper variety as this decision is one of the first steps to maximizing yields. If we compare the top 10% of soybean varieties grown within a single maturity group at…
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Check out THIS ARTICLE from USB for thoughts on how to manage weeds this season. Be vigilant and take action!
With everyone busy in the fields planting this time of year, a focus on safety is even more important. Please take a moment to remind yourself of these valuable safety tips from a recent United Soybean Board article and be safe out there! http://unitedsoybean.org/article/planting-safely-six-tips-for-avoiding-accidents-this-season-2/
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With many water-damaged soybeans across the state, growers question whether to harvest these crops or not. NCSU’s Ag Resources Economist Dr. Nick Piggot has put together some suggestions for answering this question. The first thing a grower needs to do is calculate what the break-even yield is to warrant combining the field. This is the minimum yield…
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The NCSPA was on hand last weekend for the Tractors & Trains Festival at the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer, N.C. to talk to attendees about farming and answer their questions about agriculture. Board member Jason Starnes and his wife, Robin, assisted outreach education coordinator, Laura Rogers, at the NCSPA exhibit and interacted with thousands…
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Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced yesterday that USDA will be assisting farmers in response to the continued toll that the tariffs have taken on the industry. The administration authorized $16 billion in aid programs that will be overseen by USDA while they continue to work on trade relations. The dollar amount is an estimate…
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