Missouri Soybean Farmer Magazine

The best cover crop programs begin long before harvest. Here’s how planning today can improve soil health, protect your fields and set the stage for next year’s crop. For many Missouri soybean farmers, harvest feels like the finish line. Months of planning, planting and management finally come together as combines roll across the field. But for growers who use cover crops, harvest isn’t the end of the season — it’s the beginning of the next crop cycle.

By Aimee Nielson - Seed World By August, many soybean farmers feel that the major decisions are behind them. The crop has established a canopy, herbicide applications have mostly ended and farmers have completed or started their fungicide plans. The crop, however, still has work to do. Soybeans are setting pods, filling seed and drawing heavily on available water and nutrients. Plants whose roots were infected by diseases months ago may finally show symptoms, while insects can build as pods develop.

As the aquaculture industry grows, so does the need for affordable protein in fish feed. At Lincoln University of Missouri (LU), researchers are studying whether soybean meal offers a practical way to reduce reliance on fish meal. The research examines whether soybean meal can replace a portion of the fish meal used in aquaculture feed. Fish meal, a protein-rich ingredient traditionally made from wild-caught fish, has long served as a primary protein source in fish diets.

As Missouri soybean growers scout fields each summer, symptoms of sudden death syndrome (SDS) become a common concern. However, a new player has entered the game. Red crown rot (RCR) is complicating SDS diagnosis because it produces nearly identical leaf symptoms and develops under many of the same field conditions.

by Rep. Dane Diehl Beginning Farmer Tax Deduction program aims to help young producers access farmland and keep family farms moving forward. I grew up on a family farm alongside my brothers, spending long days working the land and learning firsthand what it takes to keep a farm running. Like many kids raised in agriculture, we loved the work and the lifestyle, but we also understood something else: There was no guarantee there would be room for all of us to return.

Research continues showing that soybean fields can quietly lose yield potential underneath heat, stress and moisture swings. July tends to separate soybean fields that simply look good from soybean fields that hold onto yield. From the road, many fields can appear excellent this time of year. The canopy closes. Plants turn dark green. Rows disappear. A timely rain after a stressful stretch can quickly restore a farmer’s optimism.

Missouri soybean fields entered summer with plenty of moisture, but experts say farmers shouldn’t mistake a wet spring for a guaranteed crop. Missouri soybean farmers have already navigated a season full of weather extremes. Record warmth, excessive rainfall, flooding and cooler temperatures have all made appearances during the first half of the growing season, forcing producers to adapt field by field and sometimes week by week.

By Aimee Nielson - Seed World For a lot of soybean growers, a fungicide pass has become part of the routine. Beans hit a certain stage; neighbors start spraying and the urge to protect yield potential kicks in. But University of Missouri research continues to show that fungicide and insecticide applications tend to perform best when growers make decisions based on field conditions instead of habit. That matters more than ever right now.

As input costs continue challenging farmers and diesel users across Missouri, many are looking for practical ways to improve efficiency and manage operating expenses without sacrificing performance. Increasingly, biodiesel is becoming part of that conversation. Industry partners across the biodiesel supply chain report that, in many cases, biodiesel blends are currently priced competitively — and sometimes even lower — than traditional diesel fuel.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Soybeans welcomed a new class of summer interns who will gain hands-on experience across several areas of agriculture while supporting programs that serve soybean farmers across the state. The internship program provides college students an opportunity to work alongside Missouri Soybeans staff and farmers while learning about key areas of the soybean industry, including conservation, research, agronomy, communications and policy.