Agronomy Insights

Shortly after emergence, young soybean plants start putting down their roots. During this crucial time of development, soybean plants face a host of threats. Cool and wet conditions during and shortly after planting, favor seedling disease infection. As soil insects come out of their overwintering stage, they'll be drawn to seeds and tender roots. If not properly protected from early season threats, soybean plants can face emergence, stand establishment issues and yield impacts later in the season.

When farmers think of managing crops, soil and tissue sampling is not always front-of-mind as a regular practice. Throughout the summer of 2022, Southern States interns collected soil and tissue samples bi-weekly for one farmer whose crops include corn, soybeans, wheat, sorghum, and sunflowers - among others. This project placed a particular focus on corn and soybean fields.

How can you keep weeds from escaping your post-emergent herbicide applications in soybeans? Spray when weeds are small. Let Southern States Cooperative agronomy experts help you improve your soybean herbicide program.

In-season crop tissue analysis can uncover yield-robbing nutrient deficiencies before they impact your corn and soybean crop yields. Your Southern States Cooperative agronomy experts can help incorporate a tissue-testing plan into your nutrient management program.

Achieving optimal soybean yields requires a nutrition program that works from planting to harvest. Research shows that inoculated seed helps produce greater yields and higher returns. Southern States agronomy experts can help you find an inoculant specific to your fields.

Research has shown that producers will experience a higher probability of achieving a return on investment when seed treatments are used in fields that are at elevated levels of risk for important seedling diseases.

The return on investment (ROI) for fungicides on soybeans tends to not be as high or as consistent as for fungicide application to corn. However, this should not dissuade the soybean grower from making the decision to apply fungicides to soybeans. By using the following application checklist, it is possible to quickly determine which fields are likely candidates for productive use of soybean foliar fungicides.