In this article, we will take a look at using a roller crimper for organic no-till soybean production and the results of on-farm trials conducted in Ontario from 2019 to 2021. Highlights Why organic no-till? Organic soybean production relies on a significant amount of tillage. When done well, strong yields can be achieved. There are […]
Welcome rains have turned to downpours in some parts of Ontario. In extreme cases, fields have received in excess of 12 inches of rain over a two week period. Excess moisture has resulted in a tremendous number of fields turning yellow (Picture #1). This yellowing is not the result of root rots but largely a […]
Jake Munroe, Mike Cowbrough and Sebastian Belliard (OMAFRA) Cereal rye (Secale cereal) has several strengths as a cover crop option. It’s relatively inexpensive and easy to kill. Rye improves soil structure, builds organic matter and helps protect against water and wind erosion. It can suppress weeds as discussed here (see Figure 1). It’s also very […]
This article was written by Horst Bohner, OMAFRA Soybean Specialist, and Paul Sullivan, Sullivan Agro Inc. White mould can be one of the most devastating soybean diseases growers face. The extent of yield loss is largely dependent on the inoculum “load” of a field and the right weather occurring during soybean flowering. If the disease […]
Soybean lodging (plants that fall over) can seriously impact yield. Fortunately, it’s often only small portions of a field that lodge. In rare cases whole fields will go down, which devastates yield potential. Light penetration into the canopy during key growth stages will be impeded by lodging, reducing a plant’s ability to produce seed. […]
Land rolling helps conserve moisture, levels the soil, and pushes small rocks into the ground. Some producers roll immediately after planting, while others wait until the soybeans have emerged. Rolling immediately after planting provides improved seed-to-soil contact and reduces the likelihood of plant injury. But, it also increases the chance of soil crusting, which hinders […]
Soybeans are prone to poor plant establishment because the seedling must pull the cotyledon seed leaves through the ground to emerge. Plant stand reductions are rarely uniform, which makes the decision to replant difficult. Do not assess a poor soybean stand too quickly, since more seedlings may still emerge. In 2020 we have seen soybeans […]
Prolonged cold weather this spring has led some producers to wonder if soybean planting should be delayed. Over the next few days weather forecasters are even predicting a “polar vortex” with possible daytime highs of 3°C and nighttime temperatures of minus 3. Does this mean soybean planting should be delayed until things warm up? There […]
By Mike Staton, MSU Extension Soybean Educator and Horst Bohner, Soybean Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Some soybean producers in Michigan are experimenting with ultra early planting dates (late-March to mid-April) with positive results. To date, research trials have not shown a consistent yield benefit to planting this early when compared […]
There were a record number of unseeded acres last year. This means not all soybean seed intended for the 2019 growing season was used. Can carry-over seed (grown in 2018) be used successfully in 2020? Before answering that question, it must be stated that soybeans are one of the least storable seeds when compared to many other […]
There are two distinct growth stages in many crops; the vegetative and reproductive stages. In soybeans the vegetative stage usually lasts between 30 to 50 days after emergence. Once a flower appears on the plant the reproductive phase has begun. What makes soybean unique is that vegetative growth (leaf number, node number, and dry weight) […]
Summary Some years it’s a pleasure to grow soybeans. Other years producing a crop can be a real challenge. The 2019 growing season will be remembered as being very stressful for those involved in crop production. During this challenging year, Agricorp focused on optimizing resources to ensure that customers had the information they needed and […]
At harvest individual soybean plants that remain green may become evident. The whole plant or just the stem stays green and there are often fewer pods present on these plants. In severe cases the pods may also be small or rounded and have little or no seed. These pods are called parthenocarpic (seedless). There are […]
Delayed Planting The spring of 2019 was unprecedented in Ontario. Cool temperatures and constant rainfall delayed planting of much of the crop. Most soybeans were planted in June and for some growers it was July. There are often pockets of the province that can’t plant due to wet soil conditions, but we have not experienced […]
The spring of 2019 has been unprecedented with excess rainfall and cool temperatures. This has significantly delayed soybean planting. When does it become necessary to switch to earlier maturing soybean varieties? There has been a trend in modern soybean production to plant early and to use long season varieties to achieve higher yields. This strategy […]