Moore: Spring Brings New Opportunity

submitted by Jay Magnani | March 7, 2011 - 1:54 pm | 0 comments

It’s that time of year when preparations begin in earnest to plant another crop. Many of us were fortunate to have near-record soybean yields in 2010. Others hope 2011 will be a better season.

In either case, I would encourage you to participate in the 2011 Yield Challenge. The program provided opportunities last year for farmers to test new tactics for increasing yields. If I can take away one lesson learned from those who participated, it is the value farmers found from greater attention to input management. We have highlighted some of those tactics in this issue.

We believe that more company sponsors and farmers will be part of the 2011 Yield Challenge.

As long as you grow soybeans within the Illinois state boundaries, you are eligible to strategize and implement innovative management practices as part of a farmer team. High school and college student teams also are encouraged to participate in the program.

The highest average yields by crop reporting district will again be recognized in 2011. And even if you don’t end up with the highest yields in your district, your participation provides you with soil testing for nutrients, soil analyses for soybean cyst nematode (SCN) egg counts and SCN type testing, and protein and oil analyses of grain samples taken from all harvested plots.

If you want to test your tactics, you can get your questions answered and download a registration brochure at www.soyyieldchallenge.com. Deadline for registration is April 15. If you choose not to participate, you can still pick up nuggets of information from management practices and products used in the 2010 Yield Challenge that may work on your farm.

Spring into action, and read more about some of our current, diverse activities funded by the soybean checkoff. The pages ahead provide information about the value to soybean farmers of everything from new, value-added non-GMO soybean varieties that offer promise for the aquaculture industry, to building market potential in multiple ways in Asia so we have a home for our soybeans.

Stay alert and safe this planting season. Spring brings new opportunity, and I look forward to another year of pushing production limits to service our expanding market options.