USDA Deregulates Monsanto RR2 Xtend Soybean and Cotton Traits

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced its decision to deregulate Monsanto’s dicamba-tolerant trait technologies ― Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans and Bollgard II XtendFlex cotton. “This announcement marks an important milestone for farmers around the world,” says Robb Fraley, Monsanto’s chief technology officer. “Weeds represent a key pest to agriculture operations around the world…

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Technology Watch

Dow’s Insect Resistant Soybean Trait Conkesta will be the brand name for Dow AgroSciences’ novel insect-resistant trait that, when commercialized, will provide soybean farmers with the broadest spectrum for insect control against lepidopteran pests. Upon regulatory approvals, Conkesta will be offered as a stack with the company’s Enlist soybean traits in elite and high-yielding varieties.…

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Do Seed Treatments Pay on Soybean in North Carolina?

With consideration given to the value of numerous seed treatments being applied to soybeans, it is important to know what seed treatments have merit and why seed treatments should be used.  The soybean board asked a consortium of private agronomists to run field trials on common seed treatments. Traditionally molybdenum and bacterium to aide rhizobium…

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New Laws in Effect Week of Dec. 1

Read more about new laws, including the use of drones, that came into effect the week of Dec. 1 in North Carolina. Click on the link below to the News & Observer article: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/11/29/4364017_from-drones-to-bb-guns-new-laws.html?sp=/99/102/110/&rh=1

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Do Fungicides Really Pay for Themselves in N.C. Soybean Production?

Do fungicides pay for themselves in North Carolina soybean production?  The soybean board asked a consortium of private agronomists to explore this question.  The group includes Tidewater Agronomics, Fowler Crop Consulting, McLawhorn Crop Services, Protech Advisory Services, and IMPACT Agronomics.  The research was funded by the soybean board and conducted on private research farms across…

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Early Emergence in Soy is a Yield Booster

Early emergence in soy is the exciting and mostly untested assumption that farmers can realize more yield by getting the young plants to emerge (1) as early as possible, (2) as quickly as possible and (3) as uniformly as possible. Dr. Ron Heiniger and Dr. Jim Dunphy at North Carolina State University think that early…

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Not Too Far Out

At the North Carolina Agriculture & Biotechnology Summit on November 18-19, thought-provoking speakers explored the intersection of science, politics and economic development in the biotechnology industry. There was a healthy component of farmer participation on the podium, but unfortunately not enough farmers were able to attend to push the coffee break discussions towards addressing the…

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Could Weather Affect Your Soybean Quality?

Three weather events that could increase or decrease oil and protein content in your soybeans this year Many factors help determine soybean protein and oil content – even the weather. Selecting soybean varieties with increased oil and protein content is important to meeting the demands of today’s customers. Soybeans with higher levels of those quality

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Eight Residual-Herbicide Options to Consider After Soybean Emergence

By Amit J. Jhala, extension weed management specialist, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Early-season weed management is imperative to maximize soybean yield, and for any soybean farmers unable to apply soil residual herbicides before soybean emergence, post-emergence application of residual herbicide can be a part of the solution. Given that most soybeans

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