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ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC
MARCH 2015
START CLEAN OR START OVER PLAN TO CONTROL GLYPHOSATE-RESISTANT WEEDS EARLY ARKANSAS YIELDBUSTERS LA MASTER FARMER WINS AWARD
A Supplement to Cotton Farming and Rice Farming Magazines
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Contents 4 Start Clean Or Start Over Soybean farmers across the Mid-South plan strategies to control glyphosate-resistant weeds. The ultimate goal is to keep the crop healthy and the yield strong.
5 Product News 6 Arkansas Yieldbusters Soybean farmers set the bar high by breaking the 100bushel-per-acre barrier. Some of the secrets of their success include early planting and following Extension recommendations.
8 LA Master Farmer Wins Award Ruben Dauzat, chosen as the Outstanding Master Farmer of the Year for 2014, wants to make the best crop possible each growing season, but he doesn’t forget the long-term goal of conservation of the land and water.
Cover photo by Bruce Schultz, LSU AgCenter
Soybean farmers see benefit of lifting Cuban embargo Recently, the American Soybean Association activities in Cuba as well as make available credit (ASA) released remarks in which it stated that ASA guarantee programs. “Finally, the bill would make permanent the elimwelcomed legislation introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and backed by a bipartisan ination of restrictions such as the ‘cash in advance’ group of senators including Sens. Michael Enzi (R- interpretation, recently addressed by Executive Wyo.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jeff Flake (R- Order, which have frustrated and bottled up trade. If Ariz.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Dick Durbin (D- passed and signed into law, the bill means that not Ill.) that would end the United States’ trade embargo only Cuban buyers would be afforded the same opportunities as other nations, but that we as with Cuba. American exporters would be free to In a portion of the statement issued by access the market like any other tradASA President and Brownfield, Texas, ing partner. farmer Wade Cowan, he said, “We are “This gives the legislation the real the nation’s leader in agricultural trade potential to help build a strong export not because of one large relationship partner only 90 miles from American with a major purchaser, but because of soil,” Cowan said. our work in emerging economies like Betsy Ward, President and CEO, Cuba’s, which is why we’re so excited to USA Rice Federation, noted that the support – as we long have – an end to the rice industry also looks forward to the embargo. We applaud Sen. Klobuchar lifting of the embargo. and all the bill’s co-sponsors for their “ USA Rice has long supported bold approach in introducing this bill, Carroll Smith, Editor and we fully encourage its passage. normal commercial relations with “The Cuban marketplace is valuable for our farm- Cuba – allowing Cuba to sell products to the ers because of its increasing demand not only for United States, and Americans to visit the island,” soybeans and vegetable oil, but also for the live- Ward said. “This will generate the foreign stock and meat products that make up the consumer exchange Cuba requires to buy products they of our soybean meal,” the Texas farmer added. need from us – like rice. Two-way trade is the “That said, we have been previously able to sell our foundation of our trade with every other country products to Cuba, but only under restrictions, so in the world, and it should certainly be so here in likely the most significant part of the bill is that it our own backyard.” allows U.S. farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses to Lifting of the Cuban embargo has been a long have normal business and trade relationships with time in coming. Hopefully, the lengthy wait is over importers in Cuba, just like we do with almost every for many of our American commodities – including other nation, including normal banking, credit and soybeans and rice – and for the Cuban people, who market development relationships. The bill would have indicated that they also look forward to being allow our industry to conduct market development able to purchase American goods again.
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Start Clean Or Start Over Soybean farmers across the Mid-South plan strategies to control glyphosate-resistant weeds. The ultimate goal is to keep the crop healthy and the yield strong.
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t’s almost spring planting season, and that means it’s time for soybean growers in the Mid-South to fine-tune their plan of attack for glyphosate-resistant weeds. Despite unpredictable weather patterns and market conditions, one constant remains at the forefront in keeping the crop healthy – using an effective preemergence herbicide as the first line of defense against yield-robbing weeds. “Start clean or start over,” said Frank Carey, Field Market Development Specialist for Valent USA. Valor and Fierce Herbicide brands, for instance, allow for consistent, broad-spectrum control against Palmer amaranth, Italian ryegrass, horseweed, henbit and others. Combat inconsistent weather Weather always plays a key role in weed control. The more rainfall during the latter part of the season, the harder it is to get herbicides out in a timely fashion. If temperatures warm up prematurely and make for an early spring, weeds will germinate quicker. Dr. Trey Koger manages the agronomic operations for Silent Shade Planting Company, an 8,500-acre corn, soybean, rice, cotton, and peanut row-crop farm in Belzoni, Miss. The main problem weeds in his fields are horseweed, morning glories, barnyardgrass, and the top resistance culprit, Palmer amaranth. “We have a lot of modes of action that are going across all of our fields on an annual basis,” Koger said. “That helps us to manage glyphosate-resistant weeds.” Rather than being at the mercy of the weather, Koger makes every attempt to apply a preemergence herbicide seven to 21 days prior to planting to increase the likelihood of an activating rainfall.
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This Mississippi field appears to be pigweed-free eight weeks after a Fierce herbicide application.
“Having an herbicide activated the day you plant is critical for all of our crops, including soybeans,” Koger said, “so that you are not planting a crop and the crop’s coming up at the same timeframe as the weed.” Do the math for timely control With a preemergence herbicide like Valor or Fierce factored into weed management programs, soybean growers are able to use the numbers to their advantage when it comes to pigweeds, which in ideal conditions can grow an inch a day. “If you let pigweed get ahead of you, you have already lost the battle,” Carey said. “Once you get behind, you’re behind for the whole season.” Say a grower has one million pigweeds per acre – with the 99 percent control of a PRE, he/she is down to 10,000 weeds spread out over that acre. Then, the grower can look forward to four to six weeks of residual to have adequate time for the second round of postemerge herbicides like Cobra, Phoenix and SelectMax. “If you don’t use a PRE and you get one million pigweeds coming up, there’s absolutely no way you can get the control you need with a postemergence application in a timely fashion,” Carey said. Don’t skimp on PREs While soybean growers have seen a positive yield track over the last several seasons, the price of beans is down compared to years past. Even with low commodities and high
inputs, the cost of PREs are not that significant compared to many other inputs in budgets, Koger said. “Everything has gone up,” he said. “But if you look at the costs of the herbicide inputs versus what we get in return, especially in areas like the Mississippi Delta where we’re dealing with resistant weeds, I don’t see how you can take that out of your budget.” Instead, Koger recommends other methods of reducing expenses, like cutting back on seeding rates, or trying to be more judicious with irrigation, fertility inputs, labor and/or machinery. In addition to budgetary diligence, soybean growers should use an Integrated Pest Management approach and be proactive in their specific management decisions. “A lot of times, a grower doesn’t go looking for help until he’s got a problem,” Carey said. “By the time he’s got a problem, it’s too late.” To Koger, several factors add up to mitigating glyphosate-resistant weeds in conjunction with PRE applications: using tillage to work the ground up; hand-hoeing prior to seed development; and maintaining excellent fertility levels as well as timely irrigation practices. “It helps us to get the crop out of the ground and get it to canopy closure as quickly as possible,” Koger said. “Canopy closure is our biggest weed defense ally.” This article was submitted by Valent U.S.A. Corp. PR.
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However, the tankmix benefits all Mid-South and Southeast soybeans. Across the Mid-South, yield increases have ranged consistently from two to seven bushels per acre on Cavalier 2L-treated soybeans. Cavalier 2L is an ingested product; therefore, good spray coverage, either by air or ground, is essential for control. Particle size is also critical. During the manufacturing process, Cavalier ingredients are precision milled to obtain a 1.5 to 2.2 micron particle size for maximum insect control because of superior leaf coverage. This particle size also enhances your soybean fungicide, developing a synergistic effect. In addition to soybeans, Cavalier 2L is labeled for peanuts, citrus, and tree, nut and vine crops. For more information, contact your Helena Chemical sales representative. ■ Residual Herbicide Offerings Both Have Two Modes Of Action Drew Ellis, Dow AgroSciences market development specialist for the Mid-South, says Dow AgroSciences has two pre-emerge herbicide offerings for use on soybeans available for the 2015 season – Sonic herbicide and Surveil Co-pack. “From an agronomic standpoint, we are
Photo by Aubrey Falls Photography
■ Insect Growth Regulator For High-Yield Soybean Programs Cavalier 2L is an insect growth regulator for controlling insects in soybeans. It’s active ingredient, diflubenzuron, is a chitin inhibitor that provides excellent, economic insect control for at least three weeks. Cavalier 2L controls most insect pests, including velvetbean caterpillars, green clover worms, cabbage loopers, saltmarsh caterpillars and grasshoppers. Cavalier 2L has also shown potential for fungicidal synergism in university studies and in field use. According to Raymat Crop Science, piggy-backed with the fungicide applied at the R3 stage, this product economically and effectively controls a broad spectrum of soybean insect pests. Producers who tankmixed Cavalier 2L with a fungicide on their early beans in 2014 were protected without flaring secondary insect pests, such as soybean loopers and corn earworms, and most did not have to make a late-season insecticide treatment. It is highly compatible, easy to mix and can be applied aerially or by ground. An early Cavalier 2L/fungicide treatment especially complements high-yield soybean programs where growers push the crop for yields of 50 bushels per acre and higher.
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encouraging soybean producers to utilize broad-spectrum, residual-based products with a couple of modes of action to help control their most difficult weeds,” he says. “For example, Sonic is a pre-emerge herbicide that focuses on residual control of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth, glyphosate-resistant marestail and other hard-to-control broadleaf weeds.” According to Dow AgroSciences, Sonic is easy to use and convenient because it provides better tank mixability and is easy on equipment. This herbicide works in all tillage systems. Surveil Co-pack also has two modes of action, and, according to Dow AgroSciences, has short plant-back intervals for key rotational crops and no pH restrictions. This herbicide provides broad-spectrum control of troublesome weeds and puts weed control back into the hands of the grower by using a double barrier of residual chemistry to protect yields and manage resistance. Sonic and Surveil Co-pack are not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions.
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Arkansas Yieldbusters Soybean farmers set the bar high by breaking the 100-bushel-per-acre barrier. Some of the secrets of their success include early planting and following Extension recommendations.
By Mary Hightower University of Arkansas
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att Miles of McGehee has become the first Arkansas grower to break the 100-bushel per-acre barrier two years in a row. Miles squeaked over the mark, harvesting 100.609 bushels per acre on a field planted April 18 in Pioneer P45T11R. In 2013, he was part of a trio of growers who broke the 100-bushel-per-acre barrier during a season where growing conditions were nearly perfect for soybeans. It was so close, “my combine operator asked me, ‘do you have any skin left on your teeth?’” Miles said. Unlike 2013, the 2014 growing weather was notably cooler and wetter. “What was scaring me more than anything was the amount of moisture and the amount of stress we got between the cold and the moisture,” he said. “We were very nervous.”
Trading information Miles said he received a congratulatory call from fellow Desha County resident Nelson Crow. In 2013, Crow became first Arkansas farmer to make the milestone, with a 100.83-bushel-per-acre harvest. Miles scored a whopping107.63 bushels per acre last year. “Nelson and I have been trading information. We’ve kind of been helping each other,” Miles said, adding, “I told him I
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knew how he felt last year and that maybe this year he’ll be at 108 bushels.” Jeremy Ross, Extension soybean agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said he wasn’t really surprised. The southern part of the state, where Miles lives, “had really similar environmental conditions to last year. Once you get north of Jefferson County, Stuttgart and Helena, we were wetter than 2013.” Ross said that Miles didn’t do anything unorthodox to achieve his high yields. “Matt and Nelson do baby their beans a little bit,” Ross said, but “a lot of what they do are our recommendations.” Extension specialists and agents offer production recommendations based on solid research. Setting the bar high Wes Kirkpatrick, Desha County Extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said there’s healthy competition among growers.
“Matt has set the bar pretty high. They know how to grow soybeans,” he said. “This is the first time that something like this has ever happened two years in a row on the same farm.” However, no big event is without drama. Kirkpatrick was among the team charged with certifying the harvest as part of the Arkansas Soybean Association’s Grow for the Green Soybean Yield Contest. “We showed up at the elevator, and, of course, when you’re anticipating something, time creeps by,” he said. Obtaining the net weight the certification team needed would normally take 30 minutes. On that night, it took 2.5 hours, thanks to equipment problems. The 100-bushel-per-acre yield had long been a goal for Arkansas soybean growers and Crow, Matt and Sherrie Miles and Eddie Tackett of Atkins, shared the $50,000 prize in the 2013 Race for 100 competition, which is funded by the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board.
Matt Miles, Nelson Crow and Eddie Tackett pose with Lanny Ashlock, left, after fielding questions from fellow producers on achieving the goal of 100 bushels per acre in Arkansas. The three were named winners in the 2013 Race for 100.
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Husband and wife take honors Sherrie Miles became the second Arkansas soybean grower to break the 100-bushel-per acre barrier in two straight years – just a week after her husband Matt became the first to repeat the feat. Miles laughed when asked if she wished her plot was harvested before Matt’s, saying that “they weren’t quite dry enough.� Her yields were certified at 106.499 bushels per acre, growing Pioneer 48T53R. On Sept. 11, 2014, husband Matt’s field came in at 100.609 bushels. “She kicked my butt, that’s all I can say,� Matt Miles said. “She took a field that’s been a lower-producing field and did better than I did. A guy once told me, ‘To be a good farmer, you have to have a better wife.’ There’s a lot of truth in that.� At the elevator, Miles, her family, farm manager Billy Garner and consultant Rob Dedman were all sitting around the table waiting to hear the results. “I was trying to be a lady, trying to be real calm, but was just eaten up inside,� she said. “The men were all excited and talking about it and guestimating the total before the weight came through. It was all very exciting.� Last year, Matt and Sherrie broke the 100-bushel mark together on land that had been in Sherrie’s family for three generations. “We work well together,� she said. “I’m very proud of him and I know he thinks the same of me.� Sherrie Miles’ plot this year “was a whole different field in a whole different county. It’s in Ashley County,� she said. 2014 was a good year for Matt, Sherrie and their son Layne. “We had several other fields that cut exceptionally well,� she said, adding the family saw a lot of 90-plus-bushels per acre yields. Consistent yields “I’ll say it again, the Mileses know how to grow soybeans,� said Kirkpatrick. A number of factors, including the Grow for the Green contest hosted by the Arkansas Soybean Association and funded by the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board, have helped focus attention on soybeans. “Soybean markets have been up and we’re figuring out we can make some money if we manage them right,� Kirkpatrick said. “There are a lot of good soybeans this year.� Kirkpatrick, who is part of the contest certification team, said yields have been so good the last two years, that “decimal points are separating some of the contestants.� Soybeans are Arkansas’ biggest crop by acreage, with more than 3.15 million acres planted in 2014. For more information about soybean production, contact your county Extension office or visit www.uaex.edu or http://arkansascrops.com. To learn more about the Grow for the Green contest, visit www.arkansassoybean.com. This article was provided by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Contact Mary Hightower at mhightower@uaex.com.
Lake Village Grower Smashes Soybean Yield Record In 2014 With 112.012 Bu/A You could hear David Bennett smiling over the phone. As one of the entrants in the Arkansas Soybean Association’s Grow for the Green contest, he had been certified at 112.012 bu/A. “I didn’t do anything special,� Bennett said. “I’ve got Gus Wilson, my county agent – I owe most of it to him. He stayed out in the field most of the year watching them for me. I’d done everything at the right time.� Bennett grew Asgrow 4632, the same variety the Mileses used in setting the record in 2013. When he heard of the high yield figure, Rick Cartwright, associate director of Agriculture and Natural Resources for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, instantly thought of the late Carl Hayden, a former Extension staff chair in Chicot County. Hayden worked with former Extension Soybean Specialist Lanny Ashlock, taking the research and getting farmers to put the science to work. Among the techniques he encouraged was early planting, proper planting populations and furrow irrigation that result in really high yields.
Tankmix Cavalier 2L Insect Growth Regulator With Your Fungicide Application
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• Long-lasting, economical insect control • Yield enhancement
2014 100-plus yields • Sept. 11 – Matt Miles, McGehee – 100.609 bu/A • Sept. 11 – David Bennett, Lake Village – 112.012 bu/A • Sept. 18 – Sherrie Miles – 106.499 bu/A
• Particle size milled for maximum fungicide synergism
2013 100-plus yields • Nelson Crow, Dumas – 100.78 bu/A • Matt and Sherrie Miles, McGehee – 107.63 bu/A • Eddie Tackett, Atkins – 104.83 bu/A
problems
• Superior formulation for superior coverage and control
For more information regarding Cavalier 2L, contact your Helena Chemical sales representative. CavalierŽ 2L is a registered trademark of Raymat Crop Science, Inc. Š 2014 Raymat Crop Science, Inc.
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LA Master Farmer Wins Award By Bruce Schultz LSU AgCenter
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uben Dauzat, chosen as the Outstanding Master Farmer of the Year for 2014, wants to make the best crop possible each growing season, but he doesn’t forget the long-term goal of conservation of the land and water. He grows soybeans, corn, grain sorghum, wheat, cotton and cattle on the 1,200-acre Wayside Farms near Simmesport in Avoyelles Parish. Dauzat said experiences such as watching his granddaughter catching her first fish or his grandson bagging his first squirrel are priceless. “Everything depends on conservation,” he said. “Those are things you won’t have if you don’t manage your resources properly.” The Louisiana Master Farmer Program helps farmers learn the latest in conservation practices. Dauzat said participating in the
Louisiana Master Farmer Program affirmed that he’s on the right track. “Master Farmer rededicated me to conservation. I knew I was doing the right things, but it made me do it better and more of it.” Practicing conservation techniques He is sold on the technology of modern farm equipment and realizes the benefit for conservation purposes. He uses grid soil sampling to provide data, which allows variable fertilizer rate applications. “You don’t just blanket a field with fertilizer,” he said. Variable rate fertilizer application “has helped so much yield-wise. We’re using what we need, where we need it,” he said. Dauzat practices the no-till approach when he can. He doesn’t plow the fields in the fall. After harvest, he discs the remaining vegetation into the soil to contribute to organic matter, and he allows winter weeds to act as a cover crop.
All the land is in constant rotation. He’s convinced the practice helps with pest control, as well as soil fertility. “This field two years ago was in milo. Last year, it was in soybeans,” he said. After harvest of a 150acre wheat crop, soybeans will be planted into the stubble on raised beds 36 inches apart. “Next year, it will rotate to corn.” Dauzat, also a graduate of the LSU Ag Leadership program, was an easy choice for the Outstanding Master Farmer Award, said Donna Morgan, Louisiana Master Farmer Program Extension associate. “He’s been pretty involved with soil and water conservation, and we’ve had field days at his farm,” she said. Many farmers, like Dauzat, use a variety of conservation practices, she said. But, Morgan added, the Master Farmer Program documents the conservation work. Email Schultz at bschultz@agcenter.lsu.edu.
KEEPING YOUR FARM DATA UP KEEPS YOUR INPUT COSTS DOWN RECORDKEEPER
The Latest Precision Ag Technologies For Better And Faster Decisions In The Field 8 SOYBEAN SOUTH
MARCH 2015
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