ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC
APRIL 2022
LSU AgCenter hires soybean agronomist
Research update Planting date, maturity group impact NC soybean yield
Clemson releases MyIPM for Row Crops app
APRIL 2022
ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC
LSU AgCenter hires soybean agronomist
Research update Planting date, maturity group impact NC soybean yield
Clemson releases MyIPM for Row Crops app
CONTENTS 4 Planting date and maturity group impact on North Carolina soybean yield 5 Industry News 6 Clemson releases MyIPM for Row Crops app 8 LSU AgCenter hires agronomist for sugarcane, soybeans Cover photo by Dreamstime
D I G I TA L E X T R A S
Soybean South: Covering Southern Soybean Production Soybean South is a supplement to the Mid-South and Southeast versions of Cotton Farming magazine and Rice Farming magazine. If you would like to receive Soybean South, visit www.SoybeanSouth.com/ subscribe. Add your email address to the E-News list to have exclusive content delivered directly to your inbox.
A consultant’s touch When I was little, people would always ask me what my dad did for a living. I would always respond, beaming, and say, “He’s an agricultural consultant!” “Oh, he must work in an office at a big firm,” they would say to me. I would quickly enlighten them on the exciting, at times grueling, strategic and all around “really cool” outdoor occupation that is agricultural consulting. No big, fancy offices, no corporate ladder to climb and no fancy suits. No — this kind of consulting was so much more intriguing in my mind. I would often describe an ag consultant as a doctor for crops. These individuals live, breathe and sweat knowledge they’ve acquired over the years to better increase yield and profit for the farmers they work with. They attend countless meetings and continuing educaCassidy Nemec tion events to stay up to date on everything they can to Assistant Editor better inform their growers. They recommend the type and dosage of fungicides, herbicides and insecticides for each situation they encounter that needs them … and say don’t do anything when nothing needs to be done. An ag consultant works hard. Consultants like Mark Nemec over in Texas (hey, that’s who I was talking about earlier!), who have thousands of acres of soybeans over several counties to check each year, may look like they’re running every which way from the months of March through October. Consultants like Mr. Bill Peele over in North Carolina, who have entire research farms dedicated to the continued analysis of what works and what could work for soybeans, are devoting their specialized craft to this industry where everyone is touched. Consultants like Mr. Ray Young over in Louisiana, who have a lifetime of agricultural wisdom and efforts to show for it, continue to prove just how crucial the role of an ag consultant is. Consultants like those across the country and around the world, who have passed on their ever-changing and ever-important knowledge and skills onto their offspring and families, are inspiring others to get up and be world changers by way of agriculture. The values and spirit ag consultants have are like nothing else. They share a bond with their farmers that is critical for making a good crop. The relationship between a consultant and his or her growers is unparalleled. It’s built on trust and faith they will each do the right thing. It’s a community. A friendship. A special touch. Today, I still give that same, proud response my younger self did when asked what my dad does for a living. He will tell you repeatedly — as I’m sure every other ag consultant would — it’s the best job in the world. It takes a special kind of person to have that mentality when times get tough. I’ve learned that no matter what, a good ag consultant will put his grower first, treat every crop as if it’s their own and constantly look for ways to learn about and better the world in which we live. No fancy offices or suits required.
Cassidy
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Figure 1. The impact of planting date and maturity group on soybean yield in high (n=5, blue) and low (n=6, red) yield environments across North Carolina from 2019-2021.
Planting date and maturity group impact on North Carolina soybean yield By Rachel Vann
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oybean planting date and maturity group (MG) are important management considerations for soybean production in North Carolina. A recent analysis of 877 North Carolina soybean yield contest entries from 2002-2019 indicated that planting before mid-May and using maturity groups ≤4 increases yield in high yielding situations. Further investigation into the impact of these management strategies on yield across more diverse production environments is important. The reason is that most of this state’s fields encounter more stress than would an entry into the North Carolina Soybean Yield Contest. The North Carolina Soybean Extension program has been investigating the impact of planting date and maturity group on soybean emergence, flowering, yield, seed damage, purple seed stain, protein and oil for the past three years (2019-2021). In each environment, we have evaluated maturity groups 2-7 at planting dates from mid-March through mid-July. More details about the methods used in the study can be obtained in this scientific publication (https://bit.ly/3tPyr0a). This research will continue in 2022 and 2023. The ultimate goal is to create a grower decision support tool that will allow growers to enter their planting date, and then the tool will generate a prediction on the best maturity group and seeding rate combination to use at that planting date. We would like to have enough data so that growers could filter in the tool by things like yield environment, location, soil type and latitude. To create a tool that is robust, data must be captured that represents different weather patterns, geographical locations in North Carolina, soil types and latitudes.
Yield environments Our current dataset has 11 environments across North Carolina from 2019-2021. Working with a statistician and scouting the trends across individual environments, we have pooled the data into high and low yield environments (Figure 1). High yield environments have a site average >60 bu/A. Planting date: In high yield environments, yields were typically highest
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with early to mid-May planting for most maturity groups (Figure 1). Yields were slightly lower both when planting before May and in late May compared to planting in early to mid-May. Yield declined considerably when planting dates were pushed past May across all maturity groups (Figure 1). In low yield environments, yields were highest for MG3-5 when planted in mid- to late May, and yields were similar with late April to late May planting for MG6-7 (Figure 1). Considerable yield declines were observed when planting before mid-April and after mid-June at these environments (Figure 1). Yield declines from planting before mid-April at these environments are not well understood. But they may be attributed to soil type interactions with cooler weather limiting vegetative growth prior to soybeans moving into reproductive development and seed damage encountered at earlier planting dates. Yield declines at planting dates past May are expected and well documented in the literature. Maturity groups Maturity group: Planting date and maturity group interact to affect soybean yield, meaning that the same MG is not the best across all planting dates. In high yield environments, MG4 and MG5 yielded highest when planted before May (Figure 1). In lower yield environments, MG6 yielded the highest when planted before May (Figure 1). At full season planting dates in May, MG5 and MG6 tended to provide the highest yields regardless of yield environment (Figure 1). At planting dates past May, our data so far indicates that growers have flexibility in using MG4-7 regardless of yield environment (Figure 1). This research continues in an effort to understand the impact of environment characteristics (weather, soil type, latitude, yield environment) on soybean yield so that robust recommendations can be made about maturity group use across planting dates. Read more at https://bit.ly/3Kxfwhq. Dr. Rachel Vann is the North Carolina State University Extension soybean specialist. She may be reached at rachel_vann@ncsu.edu. SOYBEANSOUTH.COM
Fungicide seed treatment in North Carolina soybean production
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bean geographies and is the leading cause of soybean yield loss in North America. In a 2020 study conducted by The SCN Coalition, soybean growers reported they perceive SCN reduces yield by 5.1 bushels per acre. Soybean cyst nematodes enter plant roots and establish feeding sites that steal resources from the plant, leading to yield loss: • Wounds created by feeding can cause cell death and weaken the plant. • Damage increases as nematodes develop into adults and approach the reproductive stage. • Cysts containing hundreds of eggs are formed after mating, leading to an explosion in the number of nematodes. This underground cycle can be repeated three to six times during a single growing season and can wreak havoc for growers. SCN symptoms are highly variable. They can range from none (no visible evidence of plant injury) to plant death in certain areas of the field. Here are some recommendations for creating a management plan to combat this pest. First, take soil samples. If SCN is present in your fields, you’ll need to take immediate action. There is no easy fix for SCN. After you’ve tested your soil and know your SCN numbers, be sure to rotate resistant varieties and rotate to non-host crops. It’s also time to consider an effective seed treatment, Mullock said. The BASF product manager said ILEVO seed treatment delivers direct mortality across all stages of nematode life cycle to prevent development and provides increased yield potentials by protection from nematode feeding and limits the impact of reproduction. Sudden death syndrome (SDS) and SCN is estimated to be high, with at least 80% of SDS acres also impacted by SCN in the United States. SDS symptoms can be more severe under SCN pressure. While nematode damage increases in hot, dry conditions, SDS thrives in cool, wet conditions. ILEVO seed treatment protects against both, no matter the weather conditions, Mullock said.
As North Carolina growers shift to using earlier soybean planting dates as a mechanism to increase soybean yield, questions arise about the value of a fungicide seed treatment at earlier planting dates, said NC soybean specialist Rachel Vann. There is a lot of data generated several years ago to indicate that fungicide seed treatments do not impact North Carolina soybean yield at late May or later planting dates; investigation into the value of fungicide seed treatments at earlier planting dates is merited, she said. In 2019 and 2020, the Soybean Extension Program looked at the value of fungicidal seed treatments for protecting stand and yield across diverse North Carolina environments in small-plot research. When the small-plot data was combined over years, maturity groups and fungicidal seed treatments, there was often a significant protection of both stand and yield at planting dates earlier than mid-May. In 2020 and 2021, the soybean On Farm Trials (OFT) across the state focused on fungicide seed treatments. There was a significant protection of stand detected at many sites and significant protection of yield when you combined over the sites. Results from the OFT program in 2020 and 2021 can be found at https://bit.ly/36nmUNS. Our current recommendation is for use of a fungicide seed treatment to protect stand and yield in soybean planting dates prior to mid-May, Vann said. Both the small-plot data and the OFT data from the past several years drives this current recommendation.
Stay on top of yield-robbing soybean cyst nematode Nematodes are microscopic roundworms that live in the soil and feed on plant roots. According to Jeremiah Mullock, BASF product manager, seed treatment, soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is present in nearly all soy-
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Barber honored as soybean researcher of the year
Soybean cyst nematode TWITTER: @SOYBEANSOUTH
If not for a text from a colleague, Tom Barber might not have been on hand to receive his honor as Soybean Researcher of the Year from the Conservation Systems Conferences. Barber is an Extension weed scientist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. A large portion of Barber’s applied re-
WHITNEY HAIGWOOD / UA DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE
I N D U S T R Y
Extension Weed Scientist Tom Barber receives a plaque as the Conservation Conferences soybean researcher of the year. search in soybean revolves around managing pigweed. “We discovered PPO resistance several years ago and have been working on a way to manage that in soybean,” he said. “And now we’ve identified glufosinate and dicamba resistance in some pigweed populations from northeast Arkansas, which will be a main focus for the program moving forward. “In the last three years, we’ve been fortunate to work with several new technologies, one of which is the Redekop Seed Destructor as a means to destroy pigweed escapes at harvest and prevent future generations,” Barber said. “The Redekop seed destructor will be a game changer in the fight against resistant pigweed.” Bob Scott, who worked alongside Barber as a weed scientist before becoming director of the Cooperative Extension Service, wrote the nomination. “It is good to see Dr. Barber get recognition for his work in soybean,” Scott said. “Although he is more known as a cotton guy, he has worked very hard on issues over the year in soybean as well.” Vic Ford, associate director-agriculture and natural resources for the Cooperative Extension Service, called Barber “a leader in his research and Extension programs. He is not an overnight success but a product of hard work and long hours to discover and disseminate timely results to Arkansas farmers,” Ford said. “Faculty like Tom support their support staff and program from grants and gifts. Dr. Barber’s program is one of the top in the country and that support demonstrates the value of the program.” APRIL 2022
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Clemson releases MyIPM for Row Crops app By Denise Attaway
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outh Carolina farmers have a new tool this year to help identify and defeat diseases and pests in their row crops. A MyIPM for Row Crops app was developed at Clemson University in collaboration with specialists from a number of land-grant universities and the Southern IPM Center. This free smartphone app is available for Android smartphones in the Google Play Store and for iPhones in the Apple Store. It includes descriptions and photos of key pests and diseases of row crops, as well as information on integrated pest management strategies, including registered pesticides for each pest. “The app currently includes sections on insects in corn, cotton, grain sorghum, peanut and soybean,” said Tim Bryant, assistant coordinator for the Clemson Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program. “It also includes information about diseases in peanut.” Additional sections on other pests and crops will be added in “The purpose the future.
of the app is to serve as a complement to our Extension production guides and pest management handbook.”
Some background This new app is part of the MyIPM Smartphone App series originally developed in 2012 by Clemson professor Guido Schnabel and released by the Clemson College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences for management of diseases in several fruit crops. Francis Reay-Jones, Clemson IPM coordinator at the Pee Dee Research and Education Center (REC), oversees a statewide research-based Cooperative Extension Service IPM Program and said the new app was developed using the same structure as the existing app. A team effort “The app content is maintained by Clemson researchers in collaboration with Cooperative Extension Service scientists at eight universities across the mid-Atlantic, southeastern and southern United States,” Reay-Jones said. “The information is constantly reviewed and updated so that users can be assured they are getting the most accurate information.” Updates are instantly pushed out to all devices with the downloaded app. Researchers collaborating with Clemson researchers to develop the MyIPM for Row Crops app come from the University of Delaware, Louisiana State University, Auburn University, University of Florida, Virginia Tech, University of Maryland, North Carolina State University and the University of Georgia.
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The MyIPM for Row Crops app can help farmers identify and defeat pests and diseases in their row crops. The nitty gritty Target audience is commercial row crop growers, farm advisors and specialists. “The purpose of the app is to serve as a complement to our Extension production guides and pest management handbook,” ReayJones said. “Because the app is entirely downloaded onto a smartphone, contents can be accessed from anywhere, including in fields where cell phone networks may be limited.” The app is easy to use. The home screen lets users choose the crop and pest or disease. It also lets users update data from the external database. Users can go back to this screen at any time and add or delete a selection. On top of the home screen is a search bar that lets users search active ingredients and trade names. Results list crops products are registered for, rate per acre and efficacy rating. Users also can choose pest or disease or tap on a crop, which opens up diseases or pests pages. Visual aids Pest-specific information includes an overview about each pest and its management. The image gallery features a number of insect or disease pictures and symptoms as well as pictures illustrating management solutions. Users can zoom in on each picture. The app includes information about specific insects, diseases and organisms that cause the diseases (including disease cycle and symptoms and signs), chemical control information, pesticide resistance information and non-chemical control information (including biological control options, cultural control options and resistant varieties). The same features can be pulled up for any pest. Active ingredient detail Under the feature picture of every pest-specific page, users can choose to list active ingredients and trade names registered in the United States. Active ingredients are color coded according to FRAC (Fungicide Resistance Action Committee) code or IRAC (Insecticide Resistance Action Committee) code. On the insect or disease page, tapping trade names displays many available pesticides for the specific insect or disease including active ingredients, efficacy rating, PHI (Preharvest Interval) values and REI (Reentry Interval) values. To quickly look up active ingredients and trade names for a specific pest, users can tap the insect or disease on the top and choose another pest on the drop-down menu. Dr. Denise Attaway is a writer/editor for Clemson University. She may be reached at avaa@clemson.edu. SOYBEANSOUTH.COM
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Besiege insecticide and Elevest insect control are Restricted Use Pesticides. Always read and follow all label directions, precautions and restrictions for use. Some products may not be registered for sale or use in all states. Elevest insect control may not be registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your local FMC retailer or representative for details and availability in your state. FMC, the FMC logo, Elevest and Rynaxypyr are trademarks of FMC Corporation or an affiliate. Besiege is a trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. ©2022 FMC Corporation. All rights reserved. 22-FMC-3328 02/22
LSU AgCenter hires agronomist for soybeans, sugarcane By Kenneth Gautreaux
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Q & A WITH DR. ANDRE REIS
ndre Reis was born and raised in the big city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, but at 16, he decided he wanted to go to the countryside and study agriculture. His career path has taken him to many places, the latest being the LSU AgCenter Dean Lee Research and Extension Center near Alexandria. Reis’ role with the AgCenter will involve him working with soybeans and sugarcane in central Louisiana, two crops that make up significant acres in Louisiana, as well as his native Brazil. Most of his research work will be conducted at Dean Lee and the LSU AgCenter Iberia Research Station. Reis started with the AgCenter Dec. 1, 2021. One of his first priorities is variety tests for Andre both soybeans and sugarcane. Reis “One of the things I will be doing is observing traits in relation to cold tolerance of different sugarcane varieties,” Reis said. “The length of the growing season is also influenced because of the cooler weather in the central part of the state.” When Reis moved from the big city, he landed in Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, which is the birthplace of the Brazilian sugarcane industry. In 2002, he began his undergraduate studies, receiving his bachelor’s degree in agronomy in 2007. He received his master’s in 2013 and a doctorate in 2017 in crop science. Agriculture has brought Reis to many locations, both in his native country and the United States. During his academic career, he spent one year in Michigan working with seed corn production. He also spent time working in the Brazilian Cerrado, one of the most biodiverse savannas in the world. “I spent seven years working as a consultant in the north area of Brazil,” Reis said. “We were converting pastureland to row crops for the first time. There were many fertility issues involved.” Reis said the land use conversion did not have a manual, so much of the work involved trial and error. “We were doing it from scratch,” he said. “I was involved in a lot of on-farm trials, and much of my research focused on soybeans and low-land rice.” He enjoys doing research because he believes it has a real-world application and can bring changes that benefit farm production. Reis spent time as an agronomist for John Deere, working for its Latin America Innovation Center. His primary duties were exploring innovative techniques for improving soybean and sugarcane production systems that would lead to higher yields. Prior to accepting the AgCenter assignment, Reis had a research assignment at Kansas State University focusing on nutrient management in wheat, soybean and corn crops. Reis’ appointment is 75% research and 25% Extension.
Q: How do you believe the wide selection of crops you studied and worked with in your previous experience will help you in your current specializations? A: Dr. Andre Reis comes from an expansive, varied background and a different country. “I can consider myself an outsider,” Reis said. “I am free to challenge, to raise different questions for production systems.” He stated different environments make a difference, and different practices play into each of those. All his prior experience allows him to bring up different ideas not thought of before to bring what’s worked in his previous experience to his current role. Q: What innovative techniques are you eager to put into place in both the short term and long term in this position moving forward? A: As the busy season is ramping up, Reis is just now getting into the day-to-day soybean routine. “That’s tricky,” he said. “I’m really trying to think down the road … 5 to 10 years, rather than just looking at later this year.” Something Reis said that he is interested in is row spacing being used in Louisiana. “It’s 38 inches here, and that’s really wide,” he said. He mentioned that is not optimal for an efficient soybean canopy, but it makes sense with the environmental factors. To be able to raise the beds and avoid excess water, it makes sense to have those wide row configurations, Reis said. He suggested his goal is to bring the narrower row spacing concept he’s used before over to Louisiana to help optimize the production system, while simultaneously trying to find alternative solutions for the furrow and water factors that impact soybean row spacing. Q: What do you believe will be the biggest challenge you face in this role, and how do you suppose you may meet or overcome that challenge? A: “Weather.” The extreme events (hurricanes, etc.), rainfall volume and rainfall distribution in Louisiana make for a significant challenge, Reis said. “It’s a really unique kind of weather compared to the rest of the United States.” He said weather is one of the major factors growers look toward when growing a crop. “You’re, at times, trying to minimize risks rather than focus on efficiencies,” Reis said. He said weather is one of those components that makes you think about risks versus efficiency. Q: How do you see yourself interacting with producers as a part of this position? A: “Growers are the beginning and the end of all research projects,” Reis said. His goal is to pose questions that will work to address problems and challenges faced by growers. He said he wants to return to them with new ideas on concepts and productions systems that impact their livelihoods. “On-Farm Trials will be a really strong piece of my research program,” Reis said. He wants to see the growers’ farms and understand their struggles firsthand. Reis said he is ready, as much as possible, to return to the normal, face-to-face life we once lived. “I like the old way to get in contact and have a relationship with people.”
Kenneth Gautreaux is a communications specialist with LSU AgCenter.
— Cassidy Nemec
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