Ilsoyadvisor Podcasts

Rachel Cook, Ph.D., North Carolina State University assistant professor/co-director of the Forest Productivity Cooperative, provides an in-depth explanation of conservation tillage practices. She covers the short-term and long-term benefits of conservation tillage methods. “Based on our 45-year study, doing no-till and adding your typical NPK nutrients is the only way you're going to increase your organic matter.”

Choosing soybean varieties with the best combination of traits will be key to a successful 2015 crop. In this podcast, Jeremy Hogan, technical marketing agronomist with BASF, explains what Illinois growers should be looking for this year, how maturity group selection can help increase yield and the best places to go for more information.

Early infestations of weeds can impact yields by as much as ten percent. Residuals are essential because they lay the foundation for effective weed control all season long. In this podcast, Jonathan Perkins, Southern Illinois practical farm research location director and team sales agronomist for Beck’s Superior Hybrids, talks about soil herbicides and the role they play in weed control programs.

Planting sorghum can add another control option for managing tough weeds. In this podcast Dan Davidson, research and technical coordinator with ISA, explains why sorghum is a good partner in a crop rotation, the benefits it can provide, the weeds it can target and the overall result of including sorghum in a weed control program.

In southern Illinois, most soybeans were planted by the time the wet weather arrived this year. 2015 still held some major challenges for soybean farmers, but despite the obstacles, growers were able to bring in some higher-than-expected yields. Mike Wilson, Southeast Illinois soybean envoy, discusses what farmers can learn from this season to keep in mind for next year.

Despite low expectations, many growers saw above average yields this season, usually between 50 and 70 bu/ac. Lance Tarochione, CCA, provides an in-depth explanation of what producers saw this year and gives his insight on how farmers managed to grow high-yielding soybeans despite all of the factors working against them. He also reminds producers to plant early and have a strong weed control program in place for 2016.

2015 was the sixth year of ISA’s Yield Challenge for Illinois soybean growers. The program encourages producers to adopt good management practices to increase their yields and overcome whatever challenges they may face. ISA’s Yield Challenge Marketing Coordinator, Jim Nelson, discusses how the Yield Challenge keeps Illinois soybeans competitive in the global market and can help improve farmers’ bottom line.

Terry Wyciskalla, Soy CCA Envoy from Southwest Illinois, discusses how the soil fertility needs differ between soybeans and corn. Soybeans require higher potassium levels in the soil and less phosphate. A higher pH between 6.5 and 6.8 is ideal for soybeans as well, whereas corn can still thrive on a lower soil pH. All of these factors are important for farmers to consider as they head into the 2016 growing season. Terry Wyciskalla is an independent crop and soils consultant based out of Nashville, Illinois. He specializes in soil sampling, fertility recommendations, precision ag services and crop problem diagnoses. He serves a 12-county area throughout Illinois. He earned his 4R Nutrient Stewardship certification in 2015 and is happy to be a part of the 2016 Soy Envoy team.

Bioreactors by ILSoyAdvisor

Kelly Robertson, ISA’s double-crop specialist, discusses the benefits of adopting a double-crop system, and explains that farmers have to be committed to the system to see positive results. He encourages growers to have a flexible plan in place, just like they would for corn and soybeans. Establishing a solid program will help ensure that farmers are profitable when using this system. Listen to the audio below to learn more about starting a double-crop program on your farm.

Unfortunately, this years soybean planting dates have ranged from mid-April to ongoing. Regardless of your planting date we have all had issues with emergence and early vigor. In this podcast, Lynda Anderson, Northwest Illinois Soybean envoy discusses soybean emergence and early growth issues.