Free MU Crop Conference set for Jan. 30 in SE Mo.
SIKESTON, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension will hold the annual MU Crop Conference Jan. 30 at the Miner Convention Center, 2610 E. Malone Ave., Miner, Mo. The free conference provides producers, consultants, those involved in ag industry and government partners with research-based information on field crops, said Anthony Ohmes, MU Extension field specialist in agronomy.
Be on lookout for stink bugs in soybean in 2025
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri soybean farmers should be on the lookout for several species of stink bugs in 2025, says University of Missouri Extension state crops entomologist Ivair Valmorbida.
Red crown rot: No cure for this soybean disease
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Once red crown rot spreads, you cannot unspread it, says University of Missouri Extension state plant pathologist Mandy Bish. Currently, soybean and disease specialists know of no cure for red crown rot, which can reduce yields by an estimated 80% in severe cases. Seed treatments may reduce symptoms and infection, but these treatments cannot eliminate the fungus, which persists in the soil.
Soybean disease on agenda of 2025 Midwest Crops Conference in St. Joseph
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – At the Midwest Crops Conference, growers can learn about a soybean disease confirmed for the first time in Missouri. The two-day event is Jan. 21-22, 2025, at Stoney Creek Hotel in St. Joseph. University of Missouri Extension state plant pathologist Mandy Bish will discuss how red crown rot disease can significantly affect soybean yields.
MU Extension releases enterprise budgets for 2025
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension has released its latest crop and livestock enterprise budgets tailored to help Missouri farmers and ranchers plan for a productive 2025. MU Extension specialists have updated 38 budgets for farmers working with row crops, beef, swine, dairy, sheep, goats, forages and more. Region-specific budgets have also been developed for southeastern Missouri crops like cotton, peanuts and rice.
Avoid applying fall anhydrous in northern, central Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension state nutrient management specialist John Lory advises against fall application of anhydrous ammonia anywhere in Missouri. Fall application increases the risk for substantial losses in the period between fall and when the corn needs the nitrogen in June and July. Instead, preplant and side-dress applications to minimize potential losses of applied nitrogen, he says. Apply into cold soil
Midwest Crops Conference set for Jan. 21-22
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Midwest Crops Conference promises updates from three Midwestern universities on ways to improve farm yields and profits in 2025. “This conference offers a comprehensive exploration of current and critical crop topics,” says Denice Ferguson, agricultural business and policy specialist with University of Missouri Extension.
MU Extension highlights education, innovation at award-winning Soybean Festival
NORBORNE, Mo. – “Soy Much More for ’24!” rang true for this year’s Norborne Soybean Festival, Aug. 1-3 in Carroll County. For over 40 years, this festival has built civic pride, forged greater community bonds and celebrated the area’s number one industry – agriculture, said University of Missouri Extension engagement specialist Chelsea Corkins.
MU study looks at poultry litter's impact on soybean yields
ROCK PORT, Mo. – A six-year study at the University of Missouri’s Graves-Chapple Extension and Education Center in northwestern Missouri looked at the impact of poultry litter on soybean crops. “Poultry litter is increasingly being applied to row crops in northwest Missouri,” said MU Extension agronomy specialist Wayne Flanary, who conducted the research. “Manures such as litter are valuable because they add organic matter and…
First case of red crown rot confirmed in Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension state plant pathologist Mandy Bish reports confirmation of red crown rot, a yield-robbing soybean disease, in Marion County in northeastern Missouri. This is the first confirmed incidence of the disease in the state. Bish says MU Extension specialists have been scouting for the pathogen since its confirmation in Illinois in 2018.
Brazilian farmers and crop consultants visit MU
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension state crops entomologist Ivair Valmorbida and state soybean specialist Andre Reis hosted a group of influential farmers and crop consultants from Brazil on July 19-20 in Columbia. “The collaboration between Missouri and Brazilian soybean farmers is an ongoing one as each seeks to learn from the other to feed the world,” says Valmorbida.
Japanese beetle numbers increasing in corn, soybean
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri corn and soybean growers are reporting growing numbers of Japanese beetles in crops in recent weeks, says University of Missouri Extension state entomologist Ivair Valmorbida. Valmorbida uses numbers from MU Extension’s Pest Monitoring Network, which gathers information from across the state
MU Extension releases soybean yield tool
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A new tool developed by University of Missouri Extension’s state soybean specialist, Andre Froes de Borja Reis, can indicate soybean growth and anticipate yield deviations before the end of the season. “This tool is designed to predict soybean development and yield based on crop growth models,” Reis said. “It simulates soybean growth in various regions of Missouri, using both historical and current weather data.”
MU Graves-Chapple Center compares corn, soybean tillage systems over decades
ROCK PORT, Mo. – Decades-long research on corn and soybean plots at the University of Missouri Graves-Chapple Extension and Education Center in northwestern Missouri shows how tillage systems have affected yields. Four of the most common tillage systems were compared at Graves-Chapple in Rock Port: fall and spring disk; spring disk; no-till; and fall chisel and spring disk.
Soybean gall midge spreading in Midwest
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Soybean gall midge is appearing about 10 days earlier than usual in Nebraska crops, says University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension crop protection and cropping systems specialist Justin McMechan. That could spell trouble for Missouri soybean growers as well.
Challenges and strategies in optimizing soybean planting
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A grower’s planting operation and crop stand establishment is the most critical event in every farmer’s calendar, said Andre Reis, University of Missouri Extension state soybean specialist.
Research leads to potential increases in Missouri soybean yield
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri soybean yields have the potential to reach or exceed national averages, says University of Missouri Extension state soybean specialist Andre Reis. Nationally, soybean yields have grown at a pace of 0.4 bushel per acre per year over the past 80 years, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Illinois growers saw a 0.47 bushel per acre per yield upturn, while Iowa boasted a 0.48 bushel per…
Be on guard for older soil-borne and look-alike soybean diseases
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farmers often struggled during the drought of 2023 to identify what was happening in their soybean as plants showed similar symptoms with different causes. University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist Mandy Bish calls some of these causes doppelgangers, look-alikes that mimic other diseases with confusing similarities and perplexing differences. In addition, old soybean foes and emerging threats combined to create…
Test for soybean cyst nematode this fall
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Oct. 2 is National Nematode Day and marks a good time to test fields for soybean cyst nematode (SCN), the No. 1 pathogen of soybean in the United States.“We anticipate the highest SCN levels to occur at the end of the season. Identifying problematic areas this fall can help with 2024 planting decisions,” said Mandy Bish, University of Missouri Extension plant pathologist and director of the SCN Diagnostics clinic.
MU Extension to hold crop and forage chat in Palmyra
PALMYRA, Mo. - Producers in northeastern Missouri can hear crop and forage updates from University of Missouri Extension specialists at a free event in August.The MU Extension Crop and Forage Chat will be 9-11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 11, at the Shawn Kiefaber/Kenny Lovelace Farm, 1 mile west of Palmyra, off U.S. 61 on County Road 318. In the event of rain, the event will move to the fairgrounds livestock barn at Flower City Park, 1000 W. New…
Sample fields for SCN after soybean harvest
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Right after soybean harvest is the time to test fields for soybean cyst nematode (SCN), the No. 1 pathogen of soybean in the United States.
Glufosinate-resistant Palmer amaranth found in Missouri Bootheel
PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension researchers have confirmed the first case of glufosinate-resistant Palmer amaranth in Missouri’s Bootheel region.Palmer amaranth has been MU Extension weed scientist Kevin Bradley’s No. 1 weed to watch in the rest of the state for years.Palmer amaranth spreads and adapts quickly to herbicides. When it goes to seed, the weed is a superstar, producing as many as 1 million seeds per…
Plants respond to heat differently than humans
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Extreme heat affects plants differently than humans.With triple-digit temperatures this summer, grain crop growers should understand how heat affects plants, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Bill Wiebold.First, human concepts such as “heat index” or “feels like” do not apply to plants, Wiebold says. People and plants feel and react differently to heat.
MU Extension guide helps farmers with replant decisions
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Challenging weather has forced Missouri farmers to make difficult decisions on whether to replant crops because of sparse stands or delayed planting.
Rain, heat increase risk of ponding
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Predicted temperatures in the low 90s the week of May 8 combined with intense or recurrent rainfall could result in damage to corn and soybean crops from ponding, saturated soils and flooding, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Bill Wiebold. Survival of submerged corn and soybean seedlings depends on seed quality, flood duration, water temperatures, how fast fields dry and location of the growing point in…