Achieving maximum soybean yield potential will likely depend on increases in stress tolerance, efficient use of all plant growth resources, and increased biomass production. A variety of agronomic practices have shown benefit to increasing soybean yield potential. Selecting what works best on your farm requires careful consideration and implementation. Agronomic Spotlight – Maximizing Soybean Yield Potential
Plant-to-plant variability is common in fields that experience unfavorable conditions during emergence.
Corn planted this season could be exposed to cold temperatures and saturated soils. Soil that is saturated and cold can have a negative impact on corn germination and emergence. In addition, cold, saturated soils can cause other problems including surface soil crusting, compacted soils, and seedling diseases. If all of these factors occur, extensive emergence problems may take place. It is important to understand the impact of adverse environmental conditions on germination and emergence to help assess potential damage to corn. However, it is important to wait until the corn stand emerges and carefully evaluate before taking any action in planted corn fields.
Agronomic Alert – Cold Saturated Soil Effects on Corn Germination and Emergence
Wet, poorly drained soils and air temperatures below 68° F can be typical during spring planting and crop emergence. These characteristics favor the development of fungal pathogens that cause soybean seedling diseases. Germination and plant growth can also be reduced. It is important to take steps that may help prevent soybean seedling diseases and scout for these diseases after planting. Agronomic Spotlight – Soybean Seedling Diseases
Stress can lower yield potential in soybeans, especially if the stress occurs during specific growth stages. Planting a range of soybean maturities, that are adapted to your geography, can help reduce the risk of potential yield loss by spreading out flowering, seed fill, and physiological maturity. Staggering soybean maturities can also maximize yield potential by spreading out the harvest work load. This may reduce the chance of harvest moisture becoming lower than desired while other fields are being harvested.
Agronomic Spotlight – Planting a Range of Soybean Maturities
Here are some links to a few soybean agronomic videos posted on Monsanto Company’s YouTube site.
| 1. | Flowering |
| 2. | Root Biomass |
| 3. | Intensive Management Practices |
Whether it is with site specific grid sampling, or more traditional methods, soil testing is the most useful means of determining what inventories of nutrients are available for crop production. In a period of rising fertilizer prices, soil testing allows a grower to prioritize fertilizer applications, and focus on inputs that will provide the greatest return in crop production. AGRONOMIC Spotlight – Soil Testing
Roots affected by compaction.
Soil compaction can be a serious concern in moist soils, especially this spring when getting ready to start fieldwork. Compaction has become a problem in recent years due to an increase of field equipment size and weight. Damage to soil structure occurs when working too moist of soil. Compaction can negatively impact plant growth and development, and may ultimately reduce yield potential. Reducing the potential for compaction this spring can help avoid/prevent the negative impact of soil compaction on crops during the growing season.
Potassium deficiency symptoms in soybean.
Nutrients are required for water transport and photosynthesis processes, and protein and oil production in the plant. Nutrient deficiencies are one of the causes of leaf discoloration and/or chlorosis that might be observed in a soybean field and can decrease plant growth and reduce yield potential. It is beneficial to understand the function of a nutrient and identify deficiency symptoms to know when to apply corrective steps. Diagnoses from visible symptoms should be confirmed with results from soil tests and plant tissue analysis in some cases.
Agronomic Spotlight – Soybean Fertility: Functions, Deficiency, Management
Test weight is a term that is often misunderstood. Confusion arises from the belief there is an economic benefit to high test weight grain and that high test weights contribute to yield. In reality neither of these perceptions is true.
Tillers are vegetative or reproductive shoots that grow from the base of grass plants. Corn is a highly specialized grass plant. While tillers are an essential part of wheat, barley, and oat production, they are perceived to be far less desirable in corn. They are commonly referred to as “suckers,” because of the old wives tale that they “suck” the nutrients from the main stem. Research from the University of Illinois has shown that this is not the case. Many agronomists agree that the overall effect of tillers is usually neutral. There may be some benefit to tillers if corn is produced for silage because more dry matter is produced per unit area. Agronomic Spotlight – Tillers in Corn Separate the Fact from Fiction
Besides are some interesting links for you! Enjoy your stay :)