High rainfall and warm temperatures after maturity physically cause the soybean pod to swell and shrink. Any structural weakness in the pod from diseases or insect feeding will allow moisture into the pod where it affects the soybean itself. The pods then split open from the physical stress of swelling with moisture. Soybeans exposed to warm temperature and high moisture are also subject to germinating in the pod. All soybean varieties are susceptible to damage in exceptionally wet years. 

This is a vulnerable time during soybean development as we enter pod development so it's important to scout your fields for insect feeding. A recently shot this video while scouting soybean fields at Beck's Practical Farm Research (PFR)® site in London, OH for insect damage, specifically from stink bugs.

Watch it now to learn more about what to look for and what kind of injury you can expect.

There is no better time to experience the benefits of water management than after a big rainfall event. And Mother Nature has provided more than enough of those this season.

Fields across the Midwest have been flooded and tractors put on standby as farmers across the Corn Belt waited out torrential rains and wet fields over the last few weeks. Some fields however, fared better than others. Their secret you ask? Well water management of course!

Happy New Year from your Beck’s Missouri agronomy team! Alex, Clint, Norm, Matt and I look forward to the opportunity to help you succeed in 2017. With timely information, research, field diagnosis and experience, our goal is to help you make this year the most profitable it can be. Growing row crops in a low market environment can be challenging and requires us to sharpen and apply our management skills.  

Last fall was not very conducive for applying ammonia (NH₃), which brings us to our current situation concerning spring applications. Couple that with wet soils, cooler daytime temperatures this week, and the need to begin corn planting, there are areas of concern! Here are my recommendations regarding spring applications of NH₃.

This is always a fun, yet often stressful, time of year. Our crops are in the ground, we are watching them grow, and waiting in anticipation for what harvest will bring to us. While you are watching, think about what changes you may want to make for next year. Did your planter work the way you wanted? Are you spotting any nutrient deficiencies? Have you taken tissue samples to know what your plants need? Have you dug up your root systems to check for potential insect damage or compaction layers? I would encourage each one of you to call your Beck’s dealer or seed advisor to walk fields and discuss plans for next year. A good plan makes for a successful year.

Scouting is critical and is a great time to evaluate your stands and planter performance. As corn reaches V4-V6, it is transitioning from getting energy from the seed to the roots. Take time to dig plants now and look at root health. Also, remember to look for sidewall compaction. These things help you plan for next year, or give the chance to improve this crop. We also need to be looking at our weed control. We want post applications to target weeds smaller than 4 in. tall. If you used a pre-emerge herbicide, did you get the control you wanted? What weeds escaped, should you look at a different program next year? Sidedress nitrogen applications are also being made. If you are concerned about how much nitrogen (N) to apply, you can take a tissue test, or a pre-sidedress nitrate test (PSNT) to determine how much N is there and set your rates from that information. Our PFR® studies show the economic return on N over the past five years has been 178 units of applied N in corn following soybeans.