With Ontario’s winter wheat crop marching quickly to maturity, many growers are asking whether summer 2016 is a good time to try their hand at double cropping soybeans. In the first of a two-part Soybean School, Real Agriculture resident agronomist Peter Johnson and Syngenta agronomist Eric Richter, one of Canada’s leading experts on the double… Read more »
Category: Soybean School
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Soybean School: Can You Plant Too Early?
Many soybeans growers will throw away the calendar and plant as early as possible this spring. That strategy works for agronomist Deb Campbell just as long as farmers pay close attention to soil conditions and the forecast. “These days, if we’re able to plant corn we can plant soybeans – ground conditions are very similar… Read more »
Soybean School: Have You Tested For SCN?
If you haven’t tested your soil for soybean cyst nematode (SCN) lately, it may be time to take a closer look. The yield-robbing pest is quietly expanding its traditional southwestern Ontario footprint to more northern areas of Huron County and as far east as Quebec. In this episode of Real Agriculture’s Soybean School, Syngenta agronomist… Read more »
Soybean School: Starting Clean More Critical Than Ever
Fifteen years ago, University of Guelph’s Dr. Clarence Swanton helped revolutionize weed control with his pioneering research on the critical weed-free period for soybeans and corn. Essentially, Swanton helped usher in the thinking that weeds that emerge with or shortly after the crop cause irreversible yield loss. He defined the critical weed-free period as 1st… Read more »
Soybean School: High Yields Start With Soil Health
Are you paying enough attention to your soil? That’s the first question Iowa crop consultant Michael McNeill asks farmers when they want to talk about how to increase soybean yields. “Soil health is vital to optimizing profits in any crop we try to grow. Without good soil health we don’t have a chance,” says McNeill…. Read more »
Soybean School: A Simple Fix For Heavy Corn Residue
What impact do bigger corn plants that stay greener longer have on soybean yield? That’s a question OMAFRA soybean specialist Horst Bohner hears a lot these days. The answer depends on a number of factors explains Bohner in this episode of Real Agriculture Soybean School. He notes that corn is indeed producing a larger amount… Read more »
Soybean School: Six Secrets to Soybean Success
The first secret of soybean success really isn’t much of a secret, confesses agronomist Ross Bender. It all comes down to the weather, specifically rain in August. But farmers do have an opportunity to impact the remaining production factors that make up the six secrets of soybean success, says Bender, senior agronomist for the Mosaic… Read more »
Soybean School: The Return of Wide Rows
Wide row soybeans are poised to make a comeback in Ontario, says OMAFRA soybean specialist Horst Bohner. Whether it happens will likely depend on how farmers evaluate the importance of four key factors. Speaking at the recent SouthWest Agricultural Conference at Ridgetown College, Bohner explained that equipment is the first thing to consider. “We have… Read more »
Soybean School: Cyst Nematode Continues Trek Across Ontario
Soybean Cyst nematode (SCN) was first identified in Ontario in 1998. Since then the pest has slowly and methodically trekked across the province and can now be found in most parts of Ontario. In this episode of Soybean School, Syngenta agronomist Shawn Brenneman and field biologist Marijke Van Andel discuss findings from a research survey… Read more »
Soybean School: Do We Really Need Tillage On Soybean Stubble?
Did you till soybean stubble this fall? If you have, you’re driving Peter Johnson nuts! In this Soybean School episode, RealAgriculture’s resident agronomist confesses that the only problem with the tremendous Ontario fall weather is it gives farmers too much time to till. Wheat Pete says farmers should be inspecting their soybeans fields to see… Read more »
Soybean School: Adding Moisture Back to Too-Dry Soybeans
Too wet isn’t good, but neither is too dry for growers looking to get the most value for soybeans. According to researchers at North Dakota State University, on a 40 bushel-per-acre crop, harvesting soybeans at 9 percent moisture rather than 13 percent will cost the farmer around 1.8 bushels per acre. At $10 per bushel, that’s… Read more »
Retrofit Speeds Up John Deere Planters
John Deere’s new ExactEmerge retrofit kit will allow farmers who own the company’s late-model planters to step up their speed and accuracy. John Deere launched its ExactEmerge seed delivery system in 2014, promising farmers precise seed placement and spacing while boasting the ability to travel at much faster planting speeds, up to 10 mph. The… Read more »
Soybean School: Estimating Yield and Scouting for Reoccurring Issues
Pride Seeds’ Dan Foster explains how to estimate soybean yield in this video, shot at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show. Estimating yields may be more challenging than some of our other annual crops, but it all boils down to a total number of (viable) seeds in a given area. For soybeans, estimating yield without counting every seed over an… Read more »
Soybean School West: The Rotational Approach to P Needs in Soybeans
Knowing full-well that the crop can experience seed burn if placed too close to phosphorous (P), many soybean farmers will apply no or very low rates of phosphate with their soybeans. And, as we learned in the last Soybean School, that choice may not be hampering short term yields. But, agricultural soils are seeing losses in available P, suggesting room for… Read more »
Soybean School: Tallying Up and Managing Late-Season Stresses
The 2015 soybean crop has had its share of issues. From a late May frost that had many farmers replanting, to wet conditions that prevented replanting or late planting, and some zero-till beans that really struggled to get through heavy residue, it’s no wonder this crop is variable at best. While the window for most… Read more »