White mould love tight soybean rotations. What’s the best plan of attack for 2015? A good chunk of wheat acres didn’t get planted in the fall of 2014, during what some have dubbed a “harvest from hell.” Many of those acres are likely to go into soybeans, and for good reason. But, agronomically, it’s not… Read More
This year’s growing season is not likely to be forgotten for a very long time — and, unfortunately, not for great reasons. A late, wet, tough spring, widespread white mould in the beans and down-right cold break in the summer all cumulated in a long, drawn out harvest that’s headed into the holiday season for… Read More
What’s soybean stage R2 versus R4 and why does it matter? Turns out, it matters a whole lot, as does knowing how long you can anticipate the crop being in each stage. Soybeans move through three growth stages: vegetative, when weed control is the priority, to reproductive, when disease control is likely most timely, and… Read More
The 2014 planting season isn’t exactly kicking off with a bang. A hard winter, a slow spring and continued rain has been hard on winter wheat fields and has got planting off to a very slow start. While soybeans aren’t the first priority to get in the ground (they do require warm soil, after all),… Read More
There are some factors that influence soybean yield far more than others, for example a healthy crop rotation is going to do far more to help the crop reach full potential than any amount of tillage. In this Soybean School episode, Horst Bohner, soybean specialist with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, recaps the top four… Read More
It seems the 2013 soybean crop defied the odds and managed to pleasantly surprise a number of farmers with decent yields. The final provincial average tally is yet to come in, but it will likely settle somewhere around the 45 or 46 bushel per acre mark. Not too shabby, considering a tough season of untimely… Read More
Each disease threat is unique. Some pathogens are carried on wind or insects, others live in the soil and some reside on crop residue. The expected pressure of a disease for next year is largely dependent on how a disease is spread — those that winter in the soil or on residue are the most… Read More
Do you know the soybean cyst nematode levels in fields on your farm? If you’re growing or plan on growing soybeans, you should be testing every field to determine the presence of this pest. After all, it’s the number one pest of soybean in the world. Horst Bohner, soybean specialist with the Ontario Ministry of… Read More
The most advanced winter wheat is at the flag leaf stage and roughly 85% of the corn crop is planted, according to the latest crop update from the Golden Horseshoe Soil & Crop Improvement Association. Winter wheat weed control applications should be made prior to the flag leaf stage, Peter Johnson, cereal specialist, says. Pasture… Read More
Many factors converge in determining the final yield tally of the soybean crop each year, but choosing the highest yielding variety for your area is a good place to start. How do you know which is the highest yielding? Well, on-farm performance is a good indication, but it pays to compare what else is available…. Read More
If some is good, is more better? Well, that depends on what we’re talking about. Horst Bohner, soybean specialist with OMAFRA, definitely supports moving towards optimal number of plants per acre and that might mean higher seeding rates, but when it comes to tillage and fertilizer, less can certainly be more. Soybeans are unlike other… Read More
A few key environmental and agronomic factors converged in the 2012 crop that led to some surprising and even outstanding soybean yields. Of course, there were areas that suffered from dry weather, but there were also some areas that achieved yields in the 80 bushel range — some small plots even topped 100 bushels an… Read More
Every day matters when it comes to soybeans. When it comes to double crop soybeans, it matters much more. In a year like this one, where it looks as though that double crop may be a reality, producers in that position have to start thinking about risk management. While getting that crop in the ground… Read More
Producers and agronomists have both touted the benefits of early planting when it comes to soybeans. Just how much of a benefit is it? Considering the relatively short season for soybeans in Ontario, three to four weeks can pay off at harvest. That early planting doesn’t come without risk. Cold temperatures and other adverse early… Read More
Planting early is almost always a good idea. There are aspects and elements that we can’t control like the weather that tend to throw the best laid plans out the window, but in general, the theory is simple. The soybean plant is a factory that produces soybeans. That factory runs primarily on sunlight. The more… Read More