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Soybean
Pod-fill Problems Threaten Final Yields
Soybean crops in key U.S. growing areas are far from
faring well after a deluge of rain this past weekend, says Emerson
Nafziger, University of Illinois Extension agronomist.
“I think it’s fair to say that this is not the perfect end to
a perfect year for soybeans,” says Nafziger. “Any time the crop is
standing in water, it’s too much rain. In the Champaign-Urbana area,
we’ve now had 7½ in. of rain for the month, and after the first 3
in., there was no advantage to any more rain.”
Statewide, Illinois has received between 4 and 12 in. of rainfall in the
first half of September, and some of the heaviest rains fell Saturday
and Sunday, says Nafziger. To make matters worse, wet conditions this
spring had already prevented many Midwestern farmers from planting
soybeans early, or drowned out areas that were planted early.
“There are a lot of replanted fields this year, and if those fields or
replanted areas are in standing water again, then this rain will likely
do some real damage, because they’re not going to fill grain
adequately,” says Nafziger. “However, ponding water won’t be as
big a problem this week for soybeans that are nearly mature. It’s a
much bigger problem for soybeans that were just starting or in the
middle of seed fill and have more seed-filling yet to do”
Pod-fill problems are likely to cause yield reductions for a lot
of soybeans in the region, however, cautions Nafziger. “When September
is warm and dry, that’s normally favorable for filling pods [if
rainfall has been adequate in August],” he says. “This year has been
just the opposite; there’s been inadequate rainfall in August and too
much in September. For good soybean pod fill to occur in September, warm
and sunny is best, cool and sunny is next best, cool and rainy is third
best and warm and rainy is the worst. When there is no sunshine for
several days, those are not good days for the crop that’s trying to
finish up pod-fill through photosynthesis.”
Last week, the USDA pegged Illinois soybeans to average 42 bu./acre, but
Nafziger says that forecast may be too optimistic. “Even if we do make
that 42-bu. average, it will be our lowest state average soybean yield
in five years,” he says. “In Illinois, our highest soybean yields
typically occur with early podding. This year, we’ve pushed the
seed-fill period back quite a bit, and September is generally not as
favorable a time to fill pods as August is.”
Adequate pod-fill also remains a key concern for soybean yields in
Missouri, says Bill Wiebold, University of Missouri Extension
agronomist. “It’s been a tough year for soybean growers here since
day one,” he says. “We have a lot of late-planted soybeans that are
not maturing very rapidly, and over the weekend, the state had 8-10 in.
of rainfall. Low-lying areas are flooded again – some for the third
time this year. So, overall, it’s not looking like a very good crop
and people are disappointed.”
The USDA may have overestimated the state’s potential soybean yields
this year, says Wiebold. “What we really need is a late frost this
fall, but temperatures have already been as low as 38° F in the
northern part of the state, and the crop is slow in developing,” he
adds.
As often occurs in this state when wet conditions prevail in early
spring, disease problems are starting to show up this fall. “We’re
now seeing some problems with sudden death syndrome (SDS),” says
Wiebold. “So, farmers need to make a note of all their fields that
have SDS or other diseases now so that they can plant a variety with
more resistance the next time they plant soybeans in those fields.”
A timely harvest for both corn and soybeans will be essential,
emphasizes Wiebold. “I know that’s hard to do when the fields are
wet, but you might have to harvest portions of fields that are dry and
then go back later to harvest wet areas when they dry out,” he says.
“You don’t want to put 80% of the field at risk because 20% of the
field is too wet to harvest right away.”
Some Missouri farmers are already seeing some sprouting of pods in the
field, and whenever there are several wet and dry weather cycles during
fall, it can cause soybeans to shatter at harvest, notes Wiebold. So, he
advises farmers to watch their fields closely and harvest them before
either stalks or pods deteriorate enough to jeopardize yield.
For more information on the nation’s soybean crop progress, click
here: usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda.
By John Pocock
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Strategies
Available To Help Soybean Growers Reduce Harvest
Losses
Harvest losses can significantly reduce soybean
growers’ yields and profitability. Harvest losses of 12% can easily
occur if combine operators don’t pay close attention to equipment
adjustments and operation. Michigan State University (MSU) Extension
Educator Mike Staton suggests that adopting a few harvest-management
strategies can limit losses to 3% or less.
“Shatter losses at the header account for most of the harvest
losses,” says Staton, who is based in Van Buren County and also
coordinates the Soybean 2010 program. “The best way to prevent shatter
losses is to harvest as much of your crop as possible before the
moisture level in the beans falls below 13%. When soybeans undergo
repeated wetting and drying cycles after initially drying below 13%
moisture, the pods become brittle and shatter easily.”
In a study conducted at Pennsylvania State University by Interim Grain
Specialist Del Voight, a yield loss of 20 bu./acre occurred when harvest
was delayed by three weeks. Voight also measured preharvest losses of
12% due to premature shattering when harvest was delayed by three weeks
in another field.
He recommends harvesting soybeans one week after 95% of the leaves turn
brown, even though some green leaves may still remain on the stalks. To
continue reading this article on harvest practices to help optimize
soybean harvest, click here: cornandsoybeandigest.com.
Source: Michigan State University
Extension
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SCN'S Water
Cruise
Significant flooding in many areas of the Midwest may
have done more than drown newly planted crops and hinder development
–- it may have given soybean cyst nematode (SCN) the opportunity to
move into new areas.
“Considering how much flooding occurred across the Midwest and the
historical movement of soybean cyst nematodes, it's highly likely SCN
moved into fields that previously may have tested negative,” says
Shawn Conley, state soybean specialist at the University of Wisconsin.
“There's a valid concern, especially in states where SCN is not
widespread,” says Greg Tylka, professor of plant pathology at Iowa
State University. “Flooding occurred in many fields that may not have
seen that amount of water in many years.”
Soybean cyst nematodes are very durable, and hitching a ride in moving
floodwater can take a cyst or eggs many miles. “There's nothing in the
whole flooding process that could hurt a nematode egg,” Tylka says.
“SCN could easily survive a trip of 30 miles or more. Even at 300
miles, there's nothing about that venture that will hurt, especially if
eggs are inside the cyst.”
To continue reading this article about SCN and its potential spread
through flooding, click here: cornandsoybeandigest.com/soybeans.
By Mark Moore
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Make Weed Management Decisions
NOW
Believe it or not, now is the time to begin thinking
about weed management for the 2009 growing season. And as always, the
watchword is “stewardship.”
As you begin to harvest the fields, note the weeds that are present and
think back to what you did last spring and summer to control the weeds.
If you only sprayed glyphosate or any other single herbicide, rethink
the tactic. Recurrent application of herbicides will select rapidly for
weeds that do not respond to that herbicide. Consider using many
different tactics to manage as many weeds as possible and reduce the
selection pressure.
Also observe patterns of weeds in the fields. I have observed many
fields that have oblong-shaped patches of common waterhemp. The
direction always follows the tillage pattern and typically there are
dead plants next to the live plants. This should scream out impending
concerns about resistant populations.
To continue reading this article on fall weed management, click here: www.extension.iastate.edu.
By Micheal Owen, Iowa State University
Extension
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New Study:
Soybean Prices Likely To Average $11.50/bu.
An ethanol-fueled spike in grain prices will likely
hold, yielding the first sustained increase for corn, wheat and soybean
prices in more than three decades, according to new research by two
University of Illinois farm economists.
Corn, an ethanol ingredient that has driven the recent price surge,
could average $4.60 a bushel in Illinois, nearly double the average
$2.42/bu. from 1973 to 2006, say Darrel Good and Scott Irwin, professors
of agriculture and consumer economics.
They say price swings stemming from weather or other market variables
could send corn as high as $6.70/bu. or down to $3, based on a review of
market data dating back to the mid-1900s for a report titled “The New
Era of Corn, Soybean and Wheat Prices.”
“The extreme low prices in terms of the new era would have been
considered awfully good prices in the old era,” Good says. The report
also shows soybean prices could average $11.50/bu. in the new era, up
sharply from an average of $6.15 from 1973 to 2006, with swings from
$8.20 to $19/bu.
To read more about the report, click here: www.news.uiuc.edu/news.
Source: University of Illinois
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ASA Gives Reasons For Record U.S. Soybean
Exports
The American Soybean Association (ASA) pointed to its
many years of farm and trade policy work and its long history of
building export markets for helping U.S. soybean exports reach record
levels as reported last week by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural
Service (FAS). In its year end report, USDA/FAS announced soybean
exports exceeding 30.449 million metric tons (MMT), equivalent to 1.118
billion bushels, for marketing year (MY) 2007-2008, which ended Aug. 31,
2008.
China was again the largest buyer of U.S. soybeans at 490.6 million
bushels. The European Union-27 was second with 143.1 million bushels;
Mexico was third with 131.3 million bushels; and Japan was fourth with
99.5 million bushels. Collectively, these four buyers represented 77% of
total U.S. soybean exports during MY 2007/08.
As the policy advocate for U.S. soybean producers, the ASA has advanced
soybean production and exports through market-driven farm bill
legislation, trade agreements that brought down trade barriers and new
biotech soybean seed introductions that did not disrupt soybean exports.
“ASA’s work on farm policy in the 1990, 1995, and subsequent farm
bills provided U.S. soybean producers with the planting flexibility that
allowed soybean production to expand in response to market signals,”
says ASA President John Hoffman, a soybean producer from Waterloo, IA.
“U.S. soybean planted acres have expanded by almost 30% in the past 18
years, from 58 million acres in 1990 to nearly 75 million acres this
year, while U.S. soybean exports more than doubled from 557 million
bushels in 1990 to this year’s all-time record 1.118 billion
bushels.”
China, the largest importer of U.S. soybeans, purchased 17% more U.S.
soybeans this year compared to last year. China’s accession to the
World Trade Organization was essential to improved market access for
U.S. soybeans.
To continue reading this article about reasons for record levels of U.S.
exports this year, click here: www.soygrowers.com/newsroom.
Source: The American Soybean
Association
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Glyphosate:
The Micronutrient Minimizer?
Manganese deficiency in soybeans appears to be a
growing issue in areas with high-pH soils (6.5 and up) and/or higher
organic matter content and where glyphosate-resistant soybean varieties
have been planted. Deficiencies have been reported in Indiana, Michigan,
Kansas and Wisconsin.
One of the most limiting factors to high yield in glyphosate-resistant
soybeans is a suspected micronutrient deficiency resulting from
applications of glyphosate to soil, weeds and to glyphosate-resistant
soybeans, report Shawn Conley and Carrie Laboski, soil specialists,
University of Wisconsin (UW). They are conducting a study after numerous
inquires about the issue last year.
“It's important to know that their research applies most appropriately
to soils that have borderline or deficient levels of manganese (Mn),”
writes George Rehm, University of Minnesota nutrient specialist,
retired. “This issue is not one we can paint with a broad brush. It's
important to understand that soils differ greatly across the Corn Belt.
It is difficult to take data from one state and transfer it to another.
“The response to Mn in Indiana might be expected because soils in the
northwest and northeast part of that state have low Mn levels,” Rehm
says. “In Kansas, the responses were reported in production
environments with yields of roughly 70 bu./acre.”
Rehm did not find a response to Mn among glyphosate-resistant soybeans
in Minnesota. The UW researchers will post preliminary soil and leaf
tissue test data from this year's large-scale field experiments on
Conley's Web site (www.coolbean.info) this fall. This
is the first year of a two- to three-year study funded by the Wisconsin
Soybean Marketing Board.
To continue reading this article about the potential response to Mn
among glyphosate-resistant soybeans, click here: cornandsoybeandigest.com/soybeans.
By Lynn Grooms
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Bean Leaf Beetle Pod Feeding On Late-Planted
Soybeans
Soybeans grown for seed, especially late-planted or
late-maturing beans, should be monitored for bean leaf beetle damage as
leaves begin to yellow and pods remain green, advise Purdue University
entomologists.
Bean leaf beetles scar the surface of pods, but only occasionally feed
through the pod to the developing beans, explain John Obermeyer, Purdue
Extension integrated pest management supervisor, and Larry Bledsoe,
Purdue Extension pest management expert. During pod maturation, this
scar often cracks leaving an entry hole for airborne plant pathogens
that may cause discolored, moldy, shriveled or diseased beans that show
no outward signs of the pathogen.
Bledsoe says it’s important for pest managers to be able to predict
whether economic damage will occur based on the types and numbers of
beetles that are present and the stage of pod development (i.e., green,
yellow, yellow-brown or brown pods). Once the pods turn yellow to
yellow-brown, they become less attractive and less susceptible to
damage. Control is normally not warranted from this point on.
Obermeyer and Bledsoe recommend randomly selecting two plants from five
different areas of the field and then counting the number of pods per
plant and the number that show damage. Calculate the percentage of
damaged pods per plant for the field as a whole. Note if the pods are
green, beginning to turn yellow or are yellow/brown. Also determine the
number of beetles per sweep using an insect sweep net. Take five sets of
20 sweeps in the field. Determine the number of bean leaf beetles per
sweep. Additionally, note whether beetles are still actively feeding
while surveying the field, they advise.
There has been considerable interest in bean leaf beetle and its
association with bean pod mottle virus (BPMV). Bean leaf beetle is one
of the major beetle-vectors of this disease. They spread the virus by
feeding on infected plants, ingesting the virus with plant tissue, and
then regurgitating gut content after moving to and feeding on an
uninfected plant. BPMV symptoms at harvest include green stem and hilum
bleeding. Treatment for bean leaf beetle to reduce bean pod mottle virus
this time of the year is not recommended, as most disease transmission
occurs very early in the season.
For more information on bean leaf beetles, click on this Purdue PDF
file: extension.entm.purdue.edu.
Source: Purdue University Extension
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National Science Foundation Funds ISU's $2.1
Million Soybean Disease Project
Identifying genes essential for the soybean plant's
defense against three major diseases will be the aim of a new $2.1
million research project led by Iowa State University.
“We expect that information resulting from the research will help
improve soybean cultivars for disease resistance by accelerating plant
breeding programs and by enabling the engineering of new disease
resistance traits,” says Steve Whitham, associate professor of plant
pathology. Whitham leads the four-year project that earned the $2.1
million National Science Foundation grant.
The research grant is important for the state of Iowa, which leads the
nation in soybean production. Nationally, soybean yield losses linked to
diseases are estimated to cost farmers more than 400 million bushels
every year. Even though soybean is the nation's second most economically
important crop (behind corn), scientists know little about specific
genes in charge of defending the soybean plant against diseases.
The ISU project will focus on genetic resistance against three important
soybean pathogens: soybean mosaic virus, Asian soybean rust and soybean
cyst nematode.
For more information on the ISU’s soybean disease research project,
click here: www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/news_detail.php?var1=677.
Source: Iowa State University
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Soybean Checkoff, Female-Farmer-Leaders
Travel To Africa
Seven female farmer-leaders of the United Soybean
Board (USB) and soybean checkoff recently took a 12-day trip to Africa
on a mission to build relationships with African women who are
agricultural leaders in their countries. The group consisted of six USB
directors and one female director who sits on the American Soybean
Association (ASA) board. This “Women in Soy” trip is part of the
soybean checkoff’s effort to grow demand for soy and create new
markets for U.S. soybean farmers in continents such as Africa, which is
a new area of interest for checkoff international marketing efforts.
“Connecting with African women is important for U.S. soybean
farmers,” says Sharon Covert, a soybean farmer from Tiskilwa, IL, who
was one of the USB directors on the trip. “Nearly all of the
households in Africa are run by women, and women are involved with 80%
of agriculture in the continent. This makes reaching out to African
women important as a way to establish relationships with the
continent’s soybean industry and grow demand for soybeans in the
continent.”
In the past, Africa has not been a strong focus for checkoff
international marketing efforts as other regions such as China and
Mexico have traditionally had stronger import markets for U.S. soybeans.
This mission sends a message to agricultural leaders in Africa that U.S.
soybean farmers are interested in working to build demand in Africa and
recognize the region as an important player in global soybean
production.
For more information about the USB and its female leader trip to Africa,
click here: www.unitedsoybean.org.
Source: United Soybean Board
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Farm Safety Statistics Tell Strong
Story
Numbers always tell a story. For agriculture, the
story line contains some harsh statistics:
- In 2007, 715 deaths and 80,000 disabling injuries were attributed to
agriculture.
- The 2006 death rate for farmers and farm employees was 28 in
100,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- The 2006 injury rate for farmers and farm employees was 6 in
100.
As agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous occupations in
the world, the National Safety Council annually shines a spotlight on
farming and ranching during National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept.
21-27, 2008. This year’s theme is “Farm Safely – Protect YOUr
Investment.”
Agriculture’s death rate ranks first among all occupations, according
to the U.S. Department of Labor. Mining ranks second with 27 work
deaths/100,000 employees and construction is third with 10
deaths/100,000 workers.
“The Farm Safety Week theme emphasizes the value of safety and
wellness to all agricultural producers,” says John Slocombe, Extension
farm safety specialist at Kansas State University (KSU). “We want to
remind farmers of the need to be safe and stress the importance of
protecting hearing, lung function, vision, skin and the musculo-skeletal
system.”
Workplace injuries are expensive and inconvenient. For farmers it is
estimated that four work days are lost for every injury. Meanwhile, the
daily chores of feeding and caring for livestock, and planting, tending
and harvesting crops continue.
Slocombe notes that up to 60% of farm injuries occur when working with
livestock. Most other injuries happen during crop production with
machinery incidents accounting for most injuries.
Most farmer deaths involve tractors. The overwhelming majority of
injuries occur among workers aged 45 and older. The average age of U.S.
farmers is 56.
According to the National Institute for Farm Safety, there is a bright
spot: the number of agricultural deaths and injuries has fallen
gradually during the last four years. That decline is attributed to
safer equipment and increased safety awareness, says Slocombe.
For more information on farm safety from KSU, click here: www.oznet.ksu.edu/news.
Source: K-State Research & Extension
News
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A Note From The Soybean E-Digest
Editor: Credit Crunch Worries?
With major U.S. financial institutions faltering in
recent weeks and months, you may have concerns over your own sources for
agricultural credit. If so, click on this link and read an article by
Paul Ellinger , department of agricultural and consumer economics,
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign: www.farmdoc.uiuc.edu/announcements.
If you’ve seen a change in willingness from your local banks or ag
credit suppliers to work with you or have tips on how best to obtain
credit when you need it for next season’s ag supplies, I’d like to
hear from you.
When writing, please let me know your name, where you farm or work, what
your comment is and whether or not I have permission to use your comment
in a future Soybean E-Digest newsletter. You can contact me (John
Pocock) at: john.pocock@penton.com.
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