By Brian Hefty

Soybean yields are terrible.  Seriously, your fields were averaging 40 bushels 20 years ago, and how much higher are they today?  For most farmers, corn yields feel like they’ve been on a steady climb, but bean yields have been relatively stagnant.

There are a lot of things that are causing the U.S. soybean average to suffer, including a lack of adequate/balanced fertility, poor drainage, subpar weed control thanks to resistant weeds, and my topic today, insects and diseases.

I know that commodity prices are down.  It hurts on our farm just like it does on yours, but the fact of the matter is we need to produce more bushels profitably, and things can still be okay.  While this spring started warm and dry in much of the country, the last half of spring was cool and wet.  Those are exactly the conditions where diseases thrive.  At the same time, because the early spring was so warm, many bugs got started slightly ahead of normal, so we’re already seeing some insect issues in certain areas.  Here are our best recommendations for your farm this summer:

  1. Scout your fields on a regular basis.  If you have insects, you can identify them and then get them under control.  We’re not big on spraying before you see any bugs.  On the other hand, by the time you see disease infection in your crop, it’s too late.  You have to spray before you see the disease to maximize yield.
  2. Spray a fungicide in your soybeans.  If you have wet weather and a history of disease, you should probably use a full rate for added residual.  Many farmers are using half rates with great effectiveness because when you spray at R2 (full flower), your crop is often half the maximum size it will reach.  If you’re after white mold, Domark, Proline, or Endura are the best choices.  Otherwise, something like Priaxor with two modes of action is the way to go.  If you don’t believe that a fungicide can pay, at least do some strip trials and look closely at the results this fall.  If you get a 2 bushel yield bump, that’s probably a 100 percent ROI, so make sure you weigh your strips.
  3. If you see insects, spray at low thresholds.  Almost every publication I see has ridiculously high costs that dramatically skew the economics.  For example, I just read something yesterday that assumed cost was $8 to $12 to spray soybeans for aphids.  I figure my application costs $3 (it costs $0 if I’m already out spraying fungicide or herbicide), and the FULL RATE of a good pyrethroid like Silencer is $2.  That’s it.  Do you think it pays at a lower threshold when your cost is $2 instead of $12?  Of course it does.
  4. Most importantly, don’t limit yourself by saying, “I can’t spend any more on my crop.”  No one wants to spend more, but we’re all looking for good investments to put our money into.  If there’s something you can do that will gain you 2 or 3 bushels for the cost of 1 bushel, that’s something you have to do if you want to be more profitable.  We are working with many farmers who have taken their average yields from the 40s to the 60s in the last 10 years.  That extra 20 bushels is not all profit, but even at $8 soybeans, there are some great in-crop investments that will increase your yields and your bottom line.