One of the most important decisions producers must make when planting soybeans in Louisiana is planting date. Soybeans have the utility to be planted in early March to late June. This wide variation in planting dates potentially exposes seedling soybeans to a multitude of insect pests that affect both above and below ground plant structures.

Integrating winter cover crops into an agricultural system is not new, but the potential for improved soil health and crop production have renewed producer interest over the past decade. According to a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture survey, cover crop acreage increased by 50% between 2012 and 2017 across the United States and includes expansion of acreage in the Mid-South. This has prompted university research to evaluate cover crops and soil conditions specific to that region. It has been well documented that winter covers can improve various soil properties. However, questions regarding their impact on crop yield still remain

The first planting of a planting date trial was sown at the Dean Lee Research Station on March 22, 2021. This research trial will also be planted at the Rice Research Station and the Macon Ridge Research Station in 2021. LSU AgCenter scientist from all three research stations will collaborate to evaluate the performance of soybean plots after planting from late March to mid-late June. The objective of the trial is to understand the effect of temperature and photoperiod for each region, maturity group, and planting date. In addition to yield data and timing of growth stages, fungicide efficacy and protein and oil content data will be analyzed to better understand how the environment affects soybean growth and development.

An LSU graduate student has identified and named a new species of fungus that causes a devastating soybean disease, and the finding has been published in a scientific journal.