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Rescheduled Meetings of the 2014 University of Illinois Corn & Soybean Classic

  • January 7, 2014

Nature reminded us earlier this week that even though we select meeting dates well in advance, the weather often determines whether or not we can actually hold the meeting.  Our long streak of good fortune came to an end this week as the adverse weather and road conditions forced us to reschedule two Classic meetings.  The Classic meeting at the Urbana I Hotel and Conference Center originally scheduled for January 6 has been rescheduled for January 28. …

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The 2014 University of Illinois Corn & Soybean Classic

  • December 23, 2013

The 2014 University of Illinois Corn & Soybean Classic begins in two weeks!  Even though the pre-registration deadline has passed you still can register to attend by visiting the on-line registration site (http://www.cropsciconferences.com/Corn_Soybean/Registration/), or you may simply register on-site at the venue you attend.  The 2014 Classic will feature nine presentations made by speakers from the Illinois State Water Survey, USDA/ARS, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics,…

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Yield Loss on the Edge of Corn Fields in 2013

  • December 9, 2013

We have been receiving reports since corn harvest began this fall about an unusual phenomenon: yields of the outside 8 to 24 rows on the south or west edges of corn fields show lower or much lower yields than corn farther into the field. The damage tends to be relatively uniform down or across the field, and is on field edges that border a soybean field, road, ditch, or another short-growing crop (such as forage legumes or grasses) other than corn.…

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The Surprising 2013 Soybean Crop

  • December 8, 2013

The 2013 growing season in Illinois was wet early with delayed crop planting, good rainfall in June and July, mostly cool conditions in July, and little rainfall in August and September, with some high temperatures in late August and in September. With late planting and cool weather at times in mid-summer, seedfillling began only in mid-August, 10 days to 2 weeks later than normal, and took place during a period of very little rainfall. Our expectation for such a season,…

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2014 Illinois Crop Management Conferences Registration Now Open

  • December 4, 2013

The latest research information on crop production and management issues will be discussed at four University of Illinois Crop Management Conferences this winter. These two-day conferences are designed to address a wide array of topics pertinent to crop production, pest management, and natural resource issues and provide a forum for discussion and interaction between participants and university researchers.
Certified Crop Advisers can earn up to 13 hours of CEU credit. Advance registration, no later than one week before each conference,…

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The Agenda for the 2014 University of Illinois Corn & Soybean Classics

  • November 22, 2013

With the 2013 harvest mostly completed, I would like to take this opportunity to announce the agenda for the 2014 University of Illinois Corn & Soybean Classics.  We look forward to welcoming back many who have attended one or more of our previous meetings and extend a warm welcome to those who will attend for the first time.  The program will feature nine presentations that emphasize crop production, pest management, economics, and the interactions among them. …

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Potash Fertilizer: Is There a Problem?

  • November 21, 2013

In a publication brought to the public’s attention by news release from the University of Illinois several weeks ago, S.A. Khan, Richard Mulvaney and a colleague in the Department of Natural Resource and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois challenged a number of basic tenets of soil fertility, especially practices related to use of potassium (K) fertilizer. Citing hundreds of references and thousands of reported studies, they asserted that: K fertilizer is generally unnecessary in soils like most of those in Illinois;…

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“Handy Bt Trait Table” Published by Michigan State University and University of Wisconsin Entomologists

  • November 7, 2013

Drs. Chris DiFonzo (Michigan State University) and Eileen Cullen (University of Wisconsin) recently updated and published their “Handy Bt Trait Table.” This great reference provides information for transgenic hybrids on the types of Bt proteins expressed, insects controlled, herbicide tolerance, and refuge requirements for selected traits. Depending upon the specific Cry protein (below ground and/or above ground) expressed and combinations of Cry proteins delivered within the large range of Bt hybrids sold,…

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Issues with Nitrogen Fertilizer: Fall 2013

  • November 1, 2013

With 85 percent of soybean and 74 percent of corn acres harvested by October 27, the annual process of deciding when and how to supply nitrogen fertilizer for the 2014 corn crop is underway.
Lessons from this past year
Following the very dry first half of 2012 and low corn yields, soil sampling last fall revealed an average of about 80 lb N present as nitrate in the top foot of soil in Illinois. With a lot of rain in late winter and early spring,…

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Fall Fertilization for the 2014 Crop

  • October 27, 2013

Corn and soybean harvest continues to move along in Illinois, and as the 2013 crops come off, thoughts turn to fall fertilization. In this article we’ll discuss nutrients other than nitrogen. This will be followed soon by an article on nitrogen.
P and K
In areas with dry soils, we have in recent years had reports of lower than expected soil test K values. There might be some of this in 2013, but we’re also hearing some reports of soil test P and K levels higher than expected.…

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