Between 2002 and 2022, soybeans were the second-most planted crop in the United States, behind corn. The exception was in 2018 when acreage planted to soybeans surpassed corn. While the total acres planted to soybeans generally have been less than to corn, the rate of growth in soybean sowings has exceeded corn since the early 2000s.
Read MoreThe chair of the United Soybean Board says progress is being made on a project to deepen the lower Mississippi River and improve the efficiency of ag exports.
The Army Corps of Engineers is deepening more than 250 miles of the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge, Louisiana to the Gulf of Mexico.
Read MoreThe Mississippi River is a critical infrastructural waterway connecting U.S. products to export customers globally. Gov. John Bel Edwards will be meeting with U.S. farmers and other organizations to discuss its economic impact on the state of Louisiana.
Read MoreNitrogen (N) is one of the most essential nutrients required for crop growth, development and reproduction. It is the building block of proteins, amino acids, chlorophyll and DNA. Plants require more nitrogen than any other mineral nutrient. Generally, the aboveground portion of the plant contains 3% to 4% nitrogen. Therefore, fertilizing with nitrogen sources is often required for maximizing crop yield and profit.
Read MoreFreezing temperatures didn't reduce insect pressure in Mississippi and Louisiana row crops. Soybean farmers can expect waves of redbanded stinkbugs.
Read MoreIron is an important element for several plant functions such as chlorophyll synthesis, photosynthesis, and respiration. If plants are deficient in iron, the symptoms begin as interveinal chlorosis in the younger leaves .If the deficiency is severe, the symptoms can be white or necrotic leaves
Read MoreHarvest aid application can expedite soybean (Glycine max) harvest and increase effi-ciency through both weed and crop desiccation and has become a common practicein Louisiana soybean production systems.
Read MoreLSU AgCenter plant pathologist Sara Thomas-Sharma has been awarded a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant to study a common disease of soybeans.
Cercospora leaf blight is a disease that continues to be a problem for soybean farmers in the mid-South, with cost to the industry at more than $250 million over the past five years
Read MoreAs soybean plants reach maturity, the membrane that connects each seed to the pod starts to detach, an early step in the plant dying and drying out for harvest. After this point, the soybean seeds no longer have access to the plant’s resources.
“The plants no longer protect the drying soybean seeds, making them vulnerable to weather events,” explains David Moseley, state soybean specialist for the Louisiana State University AgCenter. “Too much rain after soybeans start drying down can cause the seeds to turn brown, reducing quality.”
Read MoreThe USDA-NASS survey reported that two percent of the Louisiana soybean crop was planted by March 19, 2023. The warm and dry weather during early March allowed producers to plant their corn crop early and then begin planting soybean. Unfortunately, on March 20th, the temperature dropped to approximately 28 degrees Fahrenheit in Northeast Louisiana. Soybean tissue death can occur if the temperature falls to 28 degrees Fahrenheit for more than four hours, especially if the unifoliate leaves are exposed (Vann and Stokes, 2020).
Read MoreEvery soybean variety offers a combination of yield potential and defensive traits. Farmers combine that information with performance data to select the best varieties for their fields. Then, throughout the season, they manage factors they can control to maximize yield and profit.
In Louisiana, much of the performance data and management recommendations come from variety trials managed by David Moseley, state soybean specialist for the Louisiana State University AgCenter.
Read MoreFor those who have slept since then, back in September USDA was estimating Argentina’s 22-23 corn crop at a record 55.0 million metric tonnes, up 2 MMT from the prior year. Soybean production was pegged at 7 MMT greater, at 51.0 million.
Now all that has changed.
Read MoreAs a nematologist with the LSU AgCenter, Tristan Watson is accustomed to his work earning the recognition of scientific organizations. Now he can add a public relations accolade to his résumé, too.
Read MoreThe American Soybean Association submitted a letter to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives calling for sufficient Farm Bill budget resources.
Read MoreRecent data suggest the optimum planting timing for soybean in central and north Louisiana is between late-March to mid-April.
The LSU AgCenter continues to research soybean planting dates to see if it is economical to plant earlier or later than the optimum time.
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