Ask The Agronomist Blog
Have You Started to Consider Seed Treatments?
January 11, 2012
Posted by:
Bill Kessinger, Regional Sales Agronomist
You may think it’s the slow season, but Regional Sales Agronomist Bill Kessinger says this is a good time for growers to think about their seed treatments. In general, seed treatments are very similar, but each soybean requires a different type of treatment. To know which option is best for your bean, Bill recommends asking these questions:
1. What does the seed treatment do?
2. What does the seed treatment have in it?
3. Does it have a fungicide?
4. Does it have an insecticide?
5. Does it have a biological with it?
6. At what rate are they applying that treatment?
When it’s time to select a treatment, contact your Regional Sales Agronomist to discuss your best options.
Scouting for Soybean Aphids
July 12, 2011
Posted by:
Bill Kessinger, Regional Sales Agronomist
I’ve noticed several pockets of soybean aphids popping up in fields in northern Indiana. It’s important for growers to scout for soybean aphids because they multiply quickly and can dramatically reduce yields, if they are not treated early. The University of Minnesota’s soybean production website does a nice job of explaining the soybean aphid’s lifecycle, the threat it poses to your crops, and your treatment options. You can learn more at http://bit.ly/oV5pl1.
Early Planted Soybeans
April 01, 2011
Posted by:
Bill Kessinger, Regional Sales Agronomist
When your neighbor starts planting soybeans is not necessarily when you should start planting soybeans. Let’s look at the risks and benefits to when we should be planting soybeans before we take off for the field.
Across central Indiana, the optimum planting date according to Purdue University is between the last week in April and the first week in May. I agree with their recommendation, but always advise growers that these dates are simply a reference point. Soil conditions at and following planting are the primary influences for planting and stand establishment.
Benefits of Early Planting Include:
- Increased canopy for photosynthesis
- Greater number of main-stem nodes
- Longer reproductive period
- Increased time to get entire crop planted
- Potential for early harvest
Risks of Early Planting Are:
- Frost (Unlike corn, once the cotyledons emerge the growing point is vulnerable to freezing)
- Soil crusting
- Seedling diseases (Phytophthora, Pythium, Fusarium, and Rhizoctonia)
- Bean Leaf Beetle
- Sudden Death Syndrome
Tips For Early Planting of Soybeans:
- Do not plant unless the soil is dry enough -- soil compaction and sidewall compaction will haunt you all season long.
- Treat seed with a fungicide and insecticide to help control seedling diseases and insects
- Plant higher elevation fields first, as there is less chance for frost or flooding in these areas
- Consider increasing population by 10 percent to account for increased seedling mortality
- Consider tillage to increase soil temperature for better germination and emergence.
- Watch your planting depth -- do not bury the seed in cool, damp soil
- Most of all, be patient
Planting soybeans early is not beneficial for all situations. Understand what situation your operation is in and how you plan to manage the risks involved. Then you can decide when it is the right time for you to go to the field.
Learning Opportunities Abound
January 20, 2011
Posted by:
Bill Kessinger, Regional Sales Agronomist
Winter months are learning months. I attend several educational events each year, and some are more worthwhile than others. The Conservation Tillage Conference at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio is one that I feel is well worth one's time. For more information click here to go to their web site. For those of you in the eastern Corn Belt, although as a Purdue grad it pains me to say this, the Ohio State University does a very nice job of putting on several events during the winter months. Click here to view a calendar of upcoming events that Ohio State University extension is involved with.
Whether you work in the Ag industry, or you are a farmer yourself, there is a lot of information (as well as misconceptions) in agriculture, and I encourage everyone to get out and get some quality information to help make 2011 a success.
