Soybeans

Soybean Gall Midge Emerges As Top-Tier Threat

Mon, 11 May 2026 20:19:03 GMT

Soybean gall midge is no longer just a curiosity or annoyance for many Midwest farmers. The pest is chewing into yield and profitability for soybean growers across parts of at least seven states – Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota.

Iowa State University Entomologist Erin Hodgson reports the pest’s footprint is significant, present in at least 42% of the 45.4 million acres of soybeans farmers harvested across the seven states in 2025.

“At least 19 million soybean acres are potentially impacted by this pest,” Hodgson says, noting that the pest continues to spread. Eight new counties were confirmed in 2025, with five of those being in Iowa .

According to a recent farmer survey led by University of Nebraska Entomologist Doug Golick, the pest has become a major threat in parts of Nebraska. “In the last year or two, soybean gall midge is approaching as near high of concern as herbicide-resistant weeds for survey respondents,” Golick says.

Since 2018, the soybean gall midge has spread to 185 total counties in seven states, including five new counties in Iowa this past year, according to Erin Hodgson, Iowa State University Extension entomologist and professor.

(Erin Hodgson)

Look For Small Orange Or White Larvae

Damage from the insect starts at the base of the soybean plants, largely out of sight. Adult midges emerge from the ground in May and June, then seek out tiny fissures in young soybean plants near the soil line to lay eggs, according to Thales Rodrigues da Silva, a master’s student at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

The larvae cause severe, localized yield losses from 20% to 100% loss along field edges and 17% to 50% reductions in entire fields average under heavy infestation, according to University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Extension. The larvae – small, orange worm-like pests – feed inside the base of the stem, causing plants to wither, die, and lodge (break), with damages sometimes extending 100+ feet into fields. Scouting for the pest should occur after the second trifoliate (V2) growth stage, according to the Crop Protection Network.

This damage in a soybean plant at the soil level shows the result of soybean gall midge larvae feeding.

(University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension)

Because the pest often feeds along field edges, the damage in affected plants is often mistaken for issues caused by compaction or herbicide injury, according to Stine Seed Company .

To confirm the pest’s presence, Stine agronomists recommend digging up compromised soybean plants and splitting open the stem. If white or orange larvae are found feeding within the inner layers, growers should check the Soybean Gall Midge Alert Network tracking system to determine whether the pest has been reported in their area. Next, they should contact their local Extension specialist to help confirm the diagnosis and report the finding if their county is not yet documented in their area.

Cultural Practices Show Promise

Unfortunately, there are few strategies to manage and control soybean gall midge, according to Tony Lenz, Stine technical agronomist.
With no labeled, consistently effective in-season insecticide program and no established treatment threshold, researchers are testing cultural and mechanical tactics that might give farmers at least partial relief.

Tillage ahead of planting — a tough sell in no-till systems — shows some promise in reducing early infestations in current-year soybean fields.

“Turns out that disking alone, at least in (our) study… did reduce infestation,” says Justin McMechan an entomologist and associate professor at UNL.

“There’s a significant reduction as we move from no-till to that… where it’s just disked and planted into, and then disking and hilling (a practice used in growing potatoes), which really is effective, because you’re covering up the infestation site,” McMechan adds.

He notes that even subtle changes in seedbed shape may help by covering fissures or altering microclimates at the stem base.

On planters running row cleaners, McMechan says adjustments at field edges might be one of the more accessible tools.

“There are not huge differences, but they are statistically significant,” he adds.

Field edge management has been another area of experimentation, including mowing or managing dense vegetation next to infested fields. Results are mixed, but McMechan says there are situations where mowing modestly cuts pressure.

“Nebraska saw on occasion where mowing would reduce infestation and lead to marginal yield benefit… we’re talking like 6-bushel differences,” he says, adding that weather and nearby corn canopy can override those gains.

There are no insecticides currently available to control soybean gall midge. A combination of cultural practices and mechanical efforts is likely the best option, for now, to stop or slow the pest.

(Justin McMechan)

Scientists Evaluate ‘Out-Of-The-Box’ Practices

Other work by researchers is pushing even further outside the box to find control measures. At UNL, graduate research assistant Kristin Heinrichs Stark is testing whether a biodegradable surface barrier called BioWrap can physically trap larvae in the soil and prevent emergence.

The work is early-stage and raises reasonable questions about cost and field-scale application rates, but it points to the kind of layered, non-chemical tactics Extension researchers say will likely be needed to address the pest.

Even as these cultural and physical strategies are developed, Hodgson reminds farmers that the ag industry still lacks any clear control option once larvae are inside the soybean stem.

“We really don’t have a treatment threshold, or a rescue treatment option at this time,” she says. “We know that the soybean gall midge certainly can cause yield losses, plant death, and that directly relates to yield. But we don’t really have great answers on like, how many plants does it take? How many larvae per plant (causes yield loss)?”

For now, farmers dealing with soybean gall midge are being asked to combine careful field scouting, crop rotation, and targeted cultural tactics to address the pest as the research community races to find answers and close those gaps.

Specialists from three Midwest universities provided the latest updates on soybean gall midge (SGM) this spring in a webinar, available at the link below:

Soybean Farmers Detail ‘Sustainable Practices’ That Can Pay Off

Thu, 07 May 2026 21:14:51 GMT

Cover crops were nearly scratched off Laurie and Jim Isley’s list of practices on their Michigan farm a few years ago. The reason? Production costs were adding roughly $35 an acre to their budget, which was already stretched beyond thin.

“Things were really limited for us, so we looked at that practice really, really hard,” says Laurie, who farms with her husband near Palmyra, Mich. “We can absolutely be environmentally sustainable, but the bottom line is we’re not going to stay in business unless we are profitable.”

The use of cover crops is back on firmer economic ground now, she adds, thanks to cost-share programs such as Farmers for Soil Health (FSH), which help make soil health investments possible for income-strapped growers.

Making Cover Crops Cash-Flow

The biggest hurdle for cover crops has always been the upfront cost versus the delayed gratification of better soil structure. The Farmers for Soil Health initiative is currently bridging that gap for growers in 20 states. Isley says the program offers up to $35 per acre in cost-share, plus technical assistance.

For many farmers, the frustration with government or industry programs often lies in the “fine print.” Isley highlights two specific features of the FSH program that make it a more useful tool for many row-crop growers:

The “No Look Back” Policy: Unlike many programs that only reward “new” adopters, FSH is open to almost any grower. “You are eligible for this program whether you are planting cover crops for the very first time, or whether you’ve been planting them for 10, 15 or 20 years,” Isley says.
Short-Term Commitment: “It’s a one-year contract, but you can re-enroll in it year-after-year (with up to 2,000 acres per operation) through the length of time Farmers for Soil Health continues,” Isley notes.

Beyond the dollars, the program addresses the “how-to” hurdle. Each state has designated advisers to help with cover crop species selection, seeding methods (including the use of drones), and termination timing.

“It isn’t just, ‘Go forth and find cover crops,’” Isley says. “Sometimes you just need some expert help in order to get started on something. Even if you say, ‘I’m only going to do 100 acres this year,’ that’s still 100 acres you’re going to get that $35 an acre on to get started.”

High-Oleic Soybeans: A Revenue-Side Opportunity

While cost-shares help manage expenses, Matthew Chapman is looking at the other side of the ledger: revenue. For his east-central Indiana farm, high-oleic soybean contracts have been a game-changer.

“This project’s really been a home run for the whole soybean industry,” Chapman notes. He says that backed by checkoff investments and partnerships with industry giants like Bayer, Corteva, and Beck’s, the specialty beans have already delivered over $400 million in total returns to U.S. farmers.

Chapman started off growing high-oleic soybeans on 20% of his acreage and eventually scaled to 100%. The premiums — ranging in his area from $0.75 to $1.25 per bushel last year — were a huge boost to his bottom line. But he says they have some requirements that farmers need to consider.

“Oftentimes you’re going to need to store this crop, depending on how far away your purchaser is,” he notes. “Your weed program and your plan need to start in the fall. There’s just a lot to consider ahead of time.”

The market is also evolving. High-oleic oil is prized by restaurants for its long fry life and trans-fat-free profile, and new markets are emerging. Chapman notes that his 2026 crop is destined for dairy feed — the beans will be roasted, cracked and fed whole.

United Soybean Board (USB) projections suggest that by 2027, about half of the U.S. high-oleic soybean crop could be headed to the dairy sector. Industrial uses are also gaining traction in asphalt, bioplastics and fire-resistant hydraulic oil, especially in sensitive environments like mining or near waterways.

Navigating The Carbon And Fuel Frontier

While the federal process for carbon intensity (CI) modeling is still unfolding, farmers see opportunity in markets tied to carbon scores and renewable fuels.

USB is currently funding research to ensure farmers aren’t left behind as these markets mature. One surprising finding from Iowa State University: simply planting earlier can reduce nitrous oxide emissions, a major contributor to CI scores.

“That really costs us nothing to do,” Isley says. By documenting this “free” practice change, farmers can potentially lower their CI scores and increase the value of their grain in renewable fuel markets.

However, participation requires data. Chapman emphasizes that farmers need to be the masters of their own information.

“Whenever you’re selling the data off your farm, which is what this is, it starts with knowing what we have,” he says. “It’s hard to sell something unless you know what you’ve got when you start off.”

In southeast Kansas, farmer Charles Atkinson sees this playing out in the biodiesel and renewable diesel sectors. He believes that using the product on the farm is the best way to support the market.

“It’s a product that we’ve developed, that we’ve raised, and it should be No. 1 on our priority list to use it,” Atkinson says.

The “Plan A Through F” Mindset Is Needed

Beneath all the programs and markets, the three growers say long-term profitability still depends on flexibility: having enough tools and plans on the shelf to adjust to whatever the season and markets throw at them.

The need for flexibility shows up in day-to-day decision-making. Atkinson describes his operation, based near Great Bend, as one that constantly shifts among no-till, cover crops, chemistry options and even occasional tillage, depending on the year’s weather, pests and markets.

“It seems like we have plan A, B, C, D, E and F, and depending on what gets thrown at us and what Mother Nature gives us, we have to figure out what plan to run,” he says. “Last year, I had a beautiful plan together. It was all going to work. And I think we were down to plan D before we got finished up.”

Chapman takes a similar view. He says farmers like having “a lot of tools in the toolbox,” even ones they rarely use.

“As the world’s always changing, we want to be proactive and we want to do stuff that we can voluntarily do on our farm,” he says. “Move towards that goal of leaving the farm better than you found it, and hope the day never comes that something’s your only option.”

Isley says programs such as Farmers for Soil Health, along with EQIP, CSP and state or watershed initiatives, help move more growers toward that toolbox mentality by reducing risk.

In her view, profitable sustainability isn’t about any single practice, but about using the right mix of programs, premiums and practices to fit each farm.

“I think we often are hesitant to look for help, because we want to be self-reliant,” she says. “But sometimes it really makes a difference if we look for technical assistance and for those resources that are out there and available to us.”

Isley, Chapman, and Atkinson shared their perspectives in a webinar, “How Sustainable Production and Economic Viability Can Coexist,” on Thursday. The program was hosted by Agri-Pulse in partnership with the United Soybean Board.

Why Your ‘Worst’ Soybean Fields Should Be Planted First

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 16:31:23 GMT

When fields are ready to plant, soybean growers often head to their best ground first. Connor Sible is asking you to consider doing the opposite.

“If you want to maximize soybean yields across your entire farm — not just in one field — start by planting your lowest soil-testing fields first and save the highest soil-testing fields for last,” he advises.

That shift in focus is counter to what many farmers currently do, and it is at the heart of the planting strategy he recommends. The University of Illinois row-crop field researcher and assistant professor contends that it’s when and where you pull the planter into each field that can raise your overall farm average.

In practice, that means when an early planting window opens in April or the first of May and several soybean fields are dry enough for a green light, the first acres you plant should be the ones with lower soil test values — not the “good” fields on the soil test map.

“This gives the late-planted soybean the advantage it needs to put on more bushels relative to early planting,” Sible says. “Between the soil testing data and the planting date response data we have, it makes a lot of sense.”

Why Early And Late Soybeans Behave Differently

Sible says there is a decade-plus of field trials from the University of Illinois comparing planting dates, soil tests, and yield responses, verifying that this change in planting strategy makes sense. The full study, led by Marcos Loman and advised by Fred Below, summarizes their findings and is available here .

Part of Sible’s explanation is that early-planted soybeans in April tend to yield more overall, but these beans grow slowly at first in cool, often wet soils with lower solar radiation. Their nutrient uptake is long and gradual.

“Early soybean, while yielding higher, has slower growth and probably doesn’t need fertilizer” he says.

Because those plants grow and require nutrients slowly, the soil can usually keep up with nutrient demand, even in lower-testing fields. That’s why he says early planting is the best “boost” you can give to weaker ground.

Later-planted soybeans, going in during late May or even into June, are going into a different environment: warmer soils, longer days and more solar radiation.

“Late-planted soybean, while lower yielding and a lower total nutrient requirement, grow so fast that if we want to optimize the return on fertilizer investment, it’s probably going to pay back better on late-planted beans,” Sible says.

Fast-growing late-May soybeans in Illinois pull nutrients at a higher rate, and Sible’s data shows they respond more strongly to higher soil test levels and applied fertilizer. That’s why he wants the best-testing fields held back for the later planting window.

“Late-planted beans grow so fast, the soil (fertility) probably cannot keep up,” he explains. “The late-planted soybean benefits more from that high soil test environment.”

How Farmers Can Implement The ‘New’ Planting Strategy

Sible is quick to acknowledge that in the real world, farmers will start the planting process in whatever field is fit at the time.

“Obviously you’re going to plant the driest field first,” he says, noting that central and northern Illinois have had recent rainfall.

But once more than one field is ready, he contends farmers can start making more intentional choices.

His recommended process for soybean planting looks like this:

Sort fields by crop and soil test.
Start out by grouping soybean fields by soil test levels — lower-testing and higher-testing, especially for phosphorus and potassium, but considering overall fertility.
Identify likely early-plant candidates.
Look at drainage, residue and soil type to consider which soybean fields typically dry out first. Within that group, mark the lower-testing fields.
Use early planting on “weaker” fields.
When an early planting window opens and several soybean fields are fit, move the planter to the lower soil-testing soybean fields first — those that usually don’t win the “yield contest” on your farm.
Reserve high-testing fields for later.
If weather or logistics push some soybean acres into late May or early June, prioritize the higher soil-testing fields for those later planting dates, where their strong fertility levels can support rapid growth.
Align fertilizer decisions with timing.
On early-planted soybeans, especially in lower soil-testing fields, be conservative with extra fertilizer unless there is a clear nutrient deficiency. On late-planted soybeans in high-testing fields, consider that any fertilizer investment is more likely to deliver ROI.

“If we line up planting date, soil test and fertilizer strategy, we can do a better job of maximizing soybean yield across the farm,” Sible says.

From Field-by-Field To A Higher Farm Average

Sible frames his planting strategy for soybeans as a mindset change. Instead of asking, “How do I make my best field even better?” he wants farmers to ask, “How do I pull my whole average up?”

“The principle is pretty simple,” he says. “Early planting is a powerful yield tool — use it where the soil is weakest. High soil fertility is a powerful growth tool; use it where beans are going in late and growing fast.”

Farmers won’t always see the highest absolute yield on those late-planted, high-testing fields, he acknowledges. Weather and your calendar date still matter. But he believes the relative performance and return on fertilizer can improve when planting order and soil tests work together.

For growers struggling to manage tight margins, it’s a strategy that costs nothing to try except a reshuffled planting list.

“Hopefully you can take these concepts back and take them to your acres,” Sible says. “It’s about getting the most from the whole farm, not just one field.”

Sible laid out his planting recommendations for soybeans during the 2026 Crop Management Conference at the University of Illinois.

Assess Soybean Frost Damage: Ken Ferrie Urges Patience, Replanting Discipline After Hard Freeze

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:47:05 GMT

Earlier this week after a series of storms and subfreezing temperatures swept through central Illinois, agronomist Ken Ferrie walked his March-planted soybean test plots south of the Bloomington area and didn’t like what he found.

“We had a substantial frost, reports of temperatures from 29 to 32 degrees, with the frost hanging around three hours or more,” Ferrie says. “Things are kind of crunchy in the grass this morning.”

That crunch underfoot translates into real damage in soybeans. Some plants, Ferrie says, are not going to make it.

“The worst hit are soybeans in the unifoliate stage or more and that were planted in our low ground,” he notes.

Illinois wasn’t the only state where soybeans were hit by frost. Weather reports from Monday and Tuesday indicate a late-season cold snap brought frost and freezing temperatures to at least four additional key soybean-producing states, impacting parts of Iowa, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

According to the USDA Crop Progress report released on April 20, roughly 12% of the national soybean crop had been planted. States like Illinois and Indiana were slightly ahead of their five-year averages, making crops there more vulnerable to this specific frost event.

Don’t Rush To Replant, Be Disciplined In Your Approach

Ferrie describes a clear set of visual cues growers can use to evaluate frost damage in their crop.

“Look for unifoliate leaves that are dark and deflated, and the cotyledons have a dark color,” he says. “The biggest telltale is the stem has no turgor pressure right below the cotyledons.”

He notes that those beans with discolored cotyledons and limited turgor pressure will require more time to see if they will refire at the cotyledon node.

Ferrie urges growers to take a systematic approach to evaluating frost-damaged soybeans with these four steps:

Check bean growth stage and field position (low ground vs. higher areas).
Inspect unifoliate leaves and cotyledons for dark, deflated tissue.
Pinch stems just below the cotyledons to feel for turgor.
Flag concerning areas and return in a couple of days to reevaluate survival and stand uniformity.

This bean is at the VC growth stage. While leaves look nipped and are discolored, what matters even more is what’s happening just below the cotyledons. Ferrie says there is no turgor pressure in the stem underneath the cotyledons. Turgor pressure serves soybeans a number of ways, including support for the movement of nutrients and water. “This plant is going to dry up and die on us and not make it,” Ferrie says.

(Crop-Tech Consulting Video)

This plant shows some leaf damage and possible stem damage just below the upper leaves. However, turgor pressure lower in the plant looks good. This plant is likely to survive, but Ferrie says farmers would want to reassess plants like this a few days following a frost to make sure.

(Crop-Tech Consulting Video)

Young soybeans, like this one, handle frost better than plants at VC and older because they are closer to the ground, allowing them to benefit from soil warmth, and they have thicker, waxy cotyledons. This plant is going to do fine.

(Crop-Tech Consulting)

Once you’ve assessed damage, the questions then are, how many beans survived, and how uniform a stand remains?

Replant decisions, Ferrie emphasizes, should be based on surviving plant counts and uniformity, not on first impressions the morning after a frost. That will take a few days to assess.

Why Risk Planting Soybeans In March?

Ferrie addressed the broader strategy that put March-planted beans at risk in the first place — and why many growers benefit from planting early.

“Guys ask me why plant beans in March, when you can plant them April 15,” Ferrie says. “If you can plant them April 15, not much is gained. But if you get rained out at May 1 or later, you could definitely miss the early flowering window.”

That early flowering window, he notes, remains a key driver of soybean yield potential. The risk of frost is the tradeoff.

“So that risk of early planting and dealing with frost and the need to help them up with a hoe and things like that, that always needs to be weighed against missing the early flowering window,” he says.

Go Time For Planting More Soybeans

Ferrie says the next few days are a green light for planting soybeans in central Illinois.

“If you don’t have your full-season beans planted by April 24, you may want to switch to your shorter-season beans, giving them a better chance at early flowering. Our early flowering window is closing for these full-season beans,” he adds.

The freeze may claim some of the earliest soybeans, but Ferrie insists growers still have tools to protect yield — from switching maturities as key dates approach to making informed replant calls based on stand counts and plant response.

Younger soybeans typically handle the cold and frost better.

“Population is, here at the campus, the last emerging beans, still in the cotyledon stage, are in good shape,” he says. “And the beans that we plant in the covers are protected well.”

Ferrie’s message to farmers this week is clear: get out and assess your crop, but don’t rush to replant. “By the end of the week, we’ll know how rough this frost damage is, and we’ll reassess replanting decisions after that,” he says.

You can watch Ferrie’s brief video on how to assess soybean damage here .

The 20-Bushel Wake-Up Call One Farmer Is Using To Boost Soybean Yields

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 16:42:15 GMT

For years, Stephen Butz watched his corn yields climb while his soybeans stalled. The numbers didn’t lie: corn was steadily improving, while soybeans were “average at best,” he recalls, running hot and cold from year to year with no clear pattern.

“Our soybeans were just plateauing,” says Butz, who farms near Kankakee, Ill.

The turning point for Butz came several years ago on a 120-acre field split between two soybean varieties — 80 acres on the north side and 40 acres on the south. Everything matched: planting date, field conditions, management. The only difference was the variety planted.

At harvest, the 40-acre section of the field was 18 to 19 bushels per acre better.

A talk with Butz’s seedsman revealed the answer: the higher-yielding soybeans carried the Peking source of resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN). That single difference explained nearly 20-bushels-per-acre the farm had been losing to SCN for years.

“Honestly, it was just one of those deals where our seed guy had said, ‘Hey, this is a good number.’ So we’d planted the variety kind of naively,” Butz says. “But lo and behold, it was a huge benefit for us and showed us a problem we had on this farm and other farms, too.”

With the initial finding of SCN, Butz started soil testing to identify how significant the problem was across his farm. Surprisingly, soil tests revealed SCN populations ranging from the low hundreds to as high as 5,000 per sample.

“We’ve got a good amount of farms in that 3,000 to 5,000 count, which is an extremely high amount that I need to address,” says Butz, who samples fields ahead of planting.

Spring 2026: Going 100% Peking

After splitting acres for several years between non-GMO and Enlist soybeans, Butz made a decisive shift to the latter for 2026 as the non-GMO soybeans do not carry resistance to SCN.

“This spring, we are going with 100% Peking,” he says

For Butz, the move is less about chasing bonus bushels of soybeans and more about stopping the hidden losses SCN has been causing. He’s certain he’s left a lot of yield potential on the table in previous seasons.

“We’re not so much adding bushels (with the Peking) as we expect to relieve the stress that’s been taking bushels away,” he says.

Going all-Peking this season is only part of his management plan. The other piece is rotating more between corn and soybeans and, over time, between different SCN technologies, including Peking and PI 88788.

Butz’s cropping pattern follows a rough structure of thirds in any given year: about a third of his total acres in corn or soybeans and another third in continuous corn. That same structure drives his soil sampling schedule and will, in the future, he says, guide how he rotates SCN resistance traits across the landscape.

He also hopes to bring new technology into the mix, including the new SCN solution on the way from BASF Agricultural Solutions, called Nemasphere. It is the first-ever biotech trait designed specifically to address SCN.

Unlike traditional native resistance found in PI 88788 and Peking, Nemasphere is based on a transgenic trait — a Cry14 protein engineered directly into the soybean — explains Hugo Borsari, BASF vice president of business management for seeds in North America.

Beyond Yield: Logistics And Longevity

For Butz, the case for more soybeans, and especially better-protected soybeans, isn’t just agronomic. It’s logistical and financial.
Soybeans help spread out workload during planting and harvest, he explains, easing the strain of managing continuous corn acres. They also inject rotation into fields that might otherwise lean too heavily to continuous corn.

“Years of continuous corn in some spots is fine, but rotation is obviously better,” he said during a recent panel discussion hosted by BASF.

Like he found out by accident, Butz says he believes many other growers might be losing significant yield to SCN without realizing it.

“You might live in an area that you raise 75-bushel beans all the time, or 80-bushel beans, and that’s amazing. But what if the potential is 90 or 100 bushels?“ Butz asks. “There’s plenty of people out there that might be losing 10, 15 bushels off the top, and that adds up fast. You’re freaking losing $100 an acre pretty quick that would help a lot with your bottom line.”

Replant Or Ride It Out? How To Manage The Challenges Of Early-Planted Soybeans

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 16:32:01 GMT

A burst of early soybean planting across parts of the Corn Belt last week has some farmers feeling ahead of schedule, while others are already bracing for replant decisions and dealing with seed challenges.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie reports in central Illinois, the convergence of record early planting, heavy spring rains, and uneven seed quality is testing stand establishment. Farmers are now facing tough choices regarding which fields — and which seed lots — will make the cut.

“The past 10 days, a lot of soybeans went in the ground,” Ferrie says. “I believe this may be the most beans ever planted in March for our customer base. We planted some here at the Crop-Tech campus, and they went in very well.”

However, that promising start was quickly met with adverse weather.

Ponding, Cool Soils, And Replant Calls

In parts of Illinois, recent storms dumped 3" to 3.5" of rain in a single night, leading to widespread ponding. While many of those areas drained within 24 hours, the status of those early-planted soybeans remains uncertain.

“Only time will tell, but because soil temperatures remain cool, I expect most of the beans will survive,” Ferrie contends. “If it were saturated and hot, they would die off quickly. But in cool conditions, you’d be surprised how long they can last.”

Ferrie urges growers to stay disciplined: scout fields, evaluate stands, and avoid guessing.

“If you’re scouting ponded areas and find soft, discolored seed, we’ll obviously need to replant. The quicker we get them back in the ground, the better the yield potential. We still have time to replant and maintain an early bean advantage,” he notes.

Crusting: The Hidden Threat

While ponding areas are highly visible, Ferrie warns that soil crusting on conventionally tilled fields may pose a greater threat to late-March soybeans.

“The bigger job is monitoring conventional-till soybeans for crusting. Heavy rain can create a seal that slows or stops emergence,” he explains. While no-till soybeans typically face fewer issues, they are not immune to crusting challenges and still require monitoring.

Ferrie believes many growers underestimate the importance of timely intervention.

“We may need to help these March beans out of the ground. Get the rotary hoe ready,” he advises. “The time to break a crust is when it’s light and the bean is not yet pushing hard against it.”

Waiting too long can turn a simple pass into a stand-loss event. “If the crust hardens and the bean hypocotyls become swollen trying to push through, your chances of success drop significantly. The trick is to go early. If you wait until the beans are clearly in trouble, the rotary hoe won’t be able to save them,” Ferrie says.

Seed Quality Under the Microscope

Weather isn’t the only risk factor this spring; seed quality is also under scrutiny. Seed labs are reporting a wide range of saturated cold test results.

“Samples are coming back all over the board,” Ferrie reports. “We’ve seen saturated cold scores ranging from 95% down to 9%. I suspect the samples falling below 40% may be carryover seed from previous seasons.”

The low cold score numbers are causing ripples in the supply chain, with seed companies pulling questionable lots from the system. This has led to canceled orders or last-minute substitutions for may growers.

“While it’s frustrating to not get the exact genetics you ordered, this is good seed stewardship,” Ferrie says. “Your supplier is doing the right thing by pulling that seed before it becomes a stand disaster in your field.”

Ferrie attributes these quality issues to last season’s production challenges, including heavy disease pressure and late-season drought.

Action Plan For Next Steps

Ferrie outlines several practical steps to help farmers manage the current volatility with seed quality and planting:

Scout Aggressively: Dig for seed in ponded spots for evaluation. If the seed is mushy or discolored, make the replant call early.
Ready the Rotary Hoe: Be prepared to move as soon as a crust begins to form. Ferrie refers to this as “Hoe before you know.”
Monitor Seed Tests: Work closely with your dealer to ensure you are planting high-quality lots.
Be Flexible with Genetics: A sound, high-quality substitute is better than a preferred variety with poor vigor.
Use Rain Delays Wisely: Focus on equipment maintenance and planter calibration so you are ready to roll when conditions improve.

Hear more of Ken Ferrie’s agronomic insights in this week’s Boots In The Field podcast:

The New Biofuel Boom? Historic RFS Mandates Drive 2 Billion-Gallon Expansion

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:22:41 GMT

The EPA’s finalized “Set 2” rule under the Renewable Fuel Standard is doing something rare in U.S. biofuel policy: it is not just stabilizing the market, it could jolt it.

With blending mandates for 2026 and 2027 set at historic highs , including a more than 60% jump over 2025 levels for biomass-based diesel, the rule is already being read across the industry as a catalyst for a new expansion cycle — one that could ripple from fuel producers back to soybean fields, livestock operations and emerging oilseed crops.

A Demand Shock, But By Design

“It sure feels like it,” says Matt Upmeyer, director of feedstock sourcing and strategy at Montana Renewables, when asked whether the policy signals the next biofuel boom. “We received a strong RVO, adding about 2 billion gallons of biomass-based diesel demand, and that’s a huge increase. And certainly feedstock demand is growing as well. That 2 billion of biomass-based diesel represents about 15 billion lb. of feedstock for the biodiesel and renewable diesel producers. And that really translates directly back to farm and agriculture growth as well.”

From Underperformance to Full Throttle

For an industry coming off a sharp downturn, where biodiesel production fell significantly in 2025 and facilities idled or slowed, the scale of the mandate is not just notable — it is corrective.

“I mean, I think it is realistic,” Upmeyer says of the aggressive growth targets. “The industry is poised to meet that demand. We’ve got capacity. The renewable industry, which is both biodiesel and renewable diesel, has a combined capacity of probably around 7 billion gallons. So meeting that mandate, I don’t think is a problem.”

But meeting it will require a fundamental reshuffling of how feedstocks move through the system.

“We will definitely see some changes and shifts in the feedstock flows,” he says. “We talked a little bit about the soybean oil increase and the production of soybean oil through crush. I think also you’re going to see the tallow industry and choice white grease, the hog industry, as well as poultry fat — all of those are going to find their way into the renewable diesel and biodiesel in a greater way. I think we’ll maximize all of the available low-CI feedstocks, including distillers corn oil. And then from there, obviously, the demand will be filled with soy.”

That expansion does not stop at just soybeans. Upmeyer says there are other crops that stand to benefit from this newly released RFS.

“I think that as we expand the amount of biomass-based diesel we produce, we’re going to start looking to other feedstocks as well. So canola, there’s a fair amount of canola grown in the United States, and certainly our neighbors to the north are large canola producers,” Upmeyer says. “I think that will become an integral part of what we do. And then there’s other low-CI feedstocks that are sort of on the cusp, things like camelina and different things like that will get attracted new attention right now to see how they may fit into the future mandates and production.”

If you look at the past year, biodiesel and renewable diesel facilities reportedly shut down or ran well below capacity in 2025, which led to a one-third drop in U.S. biodiesel production compared to 2024.

When asked if these new RVOs from EPA will reverse that trend and give them enough confidence to bring that production back online, Upmeyer says it should.

“The biodiesel industry got hit hard. Their production costs are higher than renewable diesel, and so they certainly felt that when we had a lower RVO under the Set 1 rule. I think we’re getting close to a point where these plants will start back up. Margins have improved dramatically.”

He adds nuance to that recovery, noting cost pressures still linger.

“Biodiesel producers have a slightly different process than renewable diesel,” he says. “They take fats, oils and greases, combine them with methanol and catalysts to make biodiesel. And methanol costs have shot up, right? So I think the marginal producers on biodiesel are still probably not super inclined to start up, but certainly the integrated biodiesel plants will be running hard. And I do believe that even the marginal biodiesel players will get a chance to restart those assets in the near term.”

A Policy Twist: The Half-RIN Question

One of the most debated elements of the rule — the proposed “half-RIN” provision for 2028 — adds another layer of complexity, particularly for feedstock sourcing and trade.

“We just couldn’t get our heads around the administrative burden that might be associated with a half-RIN,” Upmeyer says. “How do you account for feedstocks coming in from some Canadian origin, some domestic, some from foreign sources? So I think there was an administrative burden that was certainly problematic.”

“This is certainly in line with the administration’s desire to maintain energy independence in the U.S. and to have a U.S.-based and U.S.-centric market for our crop inputs and fuels,” he says. “So I think there were a lot of things that went into this. But at the end of the day, it’s still on the table for 2028. I don’t think there’s clear guidance yet, but it certainly left that door open to address this issue in the Set 3 rule.”

A Win for Agriculture

When asked if he would classify this is a “win for U.S. agriculture,” Upmeyer said the immediate impact of the record-high blending mandates for 2026 and 2027 is already clear to those closest to the supply chain.

“I think it’s a great win,” Upmeyer says. “Again, we’re really underpinning the demand for soybeans and crush. We’ve got a strong demand for the rendered products that come from the beef industry and hog industry. So, I think this is a win for agriculture and for the renewable fuels industry. We certainly applaud the administration’s commitment to energy independence, to the renewable space and ultimately to agriculture.”

Randy Dowdy’s ‘Less Is More’ Strategy For 100-Bushel Soybeans

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 21:31:50 GMT

For southern Georgia farmer Randy Dowdy, hitting the 100-bushel mark with soybeans isn’t about how many seeds he can put in the ground—it’s about how many plants he can keep standing until the combine rolls.

Dowdy’s goal is to achieve a final stand of 80,000 plants – a population significantly lower than traditional populations in the Midwest.

Make Soybeans Go Horizontal

Dowdy’s approach is built on a simple “less is more” philosophy. He believes having fewer, well-managed plants can outperform a dense stand by growing horizontally through branching rather than competing vertically for light.

According to Beck’s Practical Farm Research (PFR), soybeans naturally branch and expand toward sunlight if given the space (see photo below). This branching creates more surface area for pod formation.

(Beck’s)

Conversely, Beck’s says high-density populations can limit a plant’s ability to branch, forcing it upward and increasing the risk of lodging— Dowdy’s self-proclaimed “No. 1 enemy.”

“Once a crop starts lodging, yield goes out the window,” Dowdy says. To prevent this, he backs off the population, relying on the plant’s architecture rather than sheer numbers to fill the canopy.

Dowdy’s target plant population is in line with what university Extension soybean specialists prescribe in their 2025 Soybean Plant Population Density article. See Table 1 below for some of their recommendations by state.

(Science For Success, Funded by the Soy Checkoff)

The Science Of Flex

Research supports the soybean’s ability to adapt. Field trials by University of Illinois Extension highlights the plant’s ability to flex — filling in gaps between plants to optimize sunlight capture.

“A soybean field with only 80,000 plants per acre may look and yield about the same as one with 125,000 or more,” university researchers report. “Their ability to do this depends on having plants close enough to one another to minimize the area where sunlight hits the soil during seed-filling.”

Illinois trials from 2015 to 2018 found the most consistent economic return there occurred at populations between 115,000 and 120,000 plants per acre. Learn more at Optimizing Corn and Soybean Seeding Rates - farmdoc

Dowdy says the 80,000 plant population is adequate for him to reach 100 bushels per acre and optimize ROI. “That’s where I’m making money and not just chasing bushels,” he tells Total Acre partner, David Hula, in their latest episode of Breaking Barriers With R&D podcast.

Managing Growth Without PGRs

To control height and encourage branching, some growers turn to plant growth regulators (PGRs) or “burn-back” herbicide strategies, such as applying Cobra to intentionally stunt the crop. Dowdy, however, remains skeptical of these as a primary strategy.

“A lot of people think PGRs have a direct correlation to shortening the beans,” he says. “I haven’t been able to duplicate that with consistency.”

When Dowdy chooses to burn his beans with herbicides, it is strictly for weed management—specifically to take out Palmer amaranth. “Whatever it takes to kill a stupid pigweed, that’s what I’m doing,” he explains. “It’s not a strategy of, ‘I need them to branch more, so I’m going to use the herbicide to do that.’”

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, Dowdy’s blueprint for high yields relies on three core principles:

Protect every seed that goes into the furrow.
Avoid lodging through lower populations and precise planting timing.
Trust the crop to express its natural ability to branch and pod.

If his 80,000-plant target holds and the weather cooperates, Dowdy believes those fewer plants can carry the load — and put triple-digit yields within reach.

Hear more of Dowdy’s perspective on planting populations and his discussion with Total Acre partner, David Hula, on YouTube and at Farm Journal TV .

Early Soybeans Benefit From Protection In Cold Soils

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 20:11:26 GMT

When the calendar says it’s still a little early for soybeans but field conditions are just right, growers face this increasingly common dilemma: plant and risk the outcome in cold, tough soils—or wait and risk missing the best window.

More farmers are deciding to go early. As they do, seed treatments and inoculants are playing a bigger role in helping growers manage the risks, reports Missy Bauer, Farm Journal Field Agronomist, based in south-central Michigan.

The Case For Inoculant Use

While soybeans naturally fix nitrogen through root nodules, the process depends on the presence of Bradyrhizobium bacteria. Inoculants introduce these essential microbes to maximize nitrogen fixation and crop performance.

Inoculants are most often useful, the Crop Protection Network (CPN) reports, when fields have no history of soybean production, or when the field has gone four or more years without being planted to soybeans.

Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer says her field research in south-central Michigan indicates inoculant use can also be a net positive in “ultra early” soybean planting. She has spent the past three years evaluating Preside Ultra, a “super-concentrated” soybean inoculant.

“The results are pretty positive,” says Bauer. “We’ve seen good early growth all three years that we looked at this product.”

Three years of field testing show a solid return-on-investment for the inoculant.

(B&M Crop Consulting, Coldwater, Michigan)

Her data shows the product has added about 2.4 bushels per acre on average, delivering roughly $25 per acre in return for about $1.10 per acre more cost than a “standard” inoculant.

“I’ve been pretty happy with what we’ve seen with the enhanced early growth,” Bauer says. “I think the product pairs well with when I plant early, what we can do to get these beans going better knowing that they’re in a tough, cold environment.”

Seed Treatments Continue To Play A Valuable Role

When it comes to protecting early-planted soybeans, Bauer says seed treatments like Ilevo and Saltro still earn a place in growers’ plans as important production tools.

“While we aren’t continuing to research the Ilevo, we have that good history of Ilevo seed treatment and still recommend growers use it or Saltro,” she says.

For Bauer, that “good history” matters. Even without continuous new trials every season, a solid base of multi-year data gives her confidence to keep recommending both products, particularly when growers want to push soybeans into colder soils ahead of the traditional planting window.

Her message to farmers is that early planting doesn’t have to mean planting unprotected. With a strong track record and comparable performance in her trials, she views Ilevo and Saltro as dependable options when the goal is to capture the yield upside of early soybeans while managing the risk that cold, challenging environments can bring.

While Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer says she is not conducting further testing on Ilevo or Saltro, she has confidence in their performance in soybeans, especially in early-planted crops.

(B&M Crop Consulting, Coldwater, Michigan)

The CPN says the benefit of a seed treatment is most evident when reduced soybean seeding rates (140,000 seeds per acre or less) are used. In many regions, the minimum plant stand for highly productive soils is 100,000 plants per acre. Because farmers want to minimize input costs while maximizing yield, they may reduce their seeding rates and use seed treatments to help protect the stand, CPN reports.

Next Steps For Your System

For most soybean growers, adopting a different inoculant or seed treatment won’t require a major overhaul. In many cases, it’s a conversation with a seed dealer or custom treater, Bauer says.

Four next steps she recommends:

Talk to your seed dealer about the inoculant and seed treatment options they offer and the potential benefits.
Review local data from plots in your area, especially where beans were planted early.
Match products to your planting plans — early planting into cold soils typically justifies a more robust treatment package.
Consider a strip trial for evaluation purposes. Compare your standard package against an upgraded inoculant or seed treatment.

For farmers looking to protect their early-planted soybeans — and squeeze a few more bushels out of every acre — upgrading the inoculant and revisiting their seed treatment package may be one of the simpler, higher-return changes they can make, Bauer says.

Are You Planting Second-Year Soybeans And Skipping Corn?

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 20:26:30 GMT

As input prices and markets fluctuate, many U.S. farmers are considering a shift from corn to soybeans this season. For some, like northwest Missouri farmer Todd Gibson, continuous soybeans aren’t just a one-year pivot—they are a long-term strategy to capture ROI on challenging soils.

Gibson, based near Norborne — a farming community that proudly bills itself as the “Soybean Capital of the World” — keeps a traditional corn-soybean rotation on his Missouri River bottom ground. But most of his fields with tougher, gumbo-type soils haven’t seen a corn planter in two decades.

“Growing corn on some of this heavy ground just doesn’t pay,” Gibson explains. “I’ve got some fields that have been in continuous soybeans for 20-plus years now.”

More Second-Year Soybeans In U.S. Farmers’ Plans

Gibson says he will grow more soybeans this season and on his better ground. “I’m going to cut my corn acres maybe in half. I’ll have more beans on the better dirt this year, mainly because of input prices,” he says.

Other U.S. farmers – many without Gibson’s experience – are looking to grow second-year soybeans. The Allendale Report released March 18 says private acreage estimates point to a shift toward more soybeans this season, notes Rich Nelson, chief analyst. He estimates U.S. corn planted area at 93.678 million acres, down about 5.1 million acres from 2025, while soybean acres are pegged at 85.659 million acres, up roughly 4.4 million acres over last year.

In southern Illinois, farmer and broker Sherman Newlin says the conversations he has with farmers these days are dominated by input costs and fertilizer availability concerns. While some tell him they’re sticking to their corn-bean rotations, others are considering a 100% shift to soybeans. Newlin is keeping his options open.

“I’m not planning on switching, but we’ll see,” he says. “We’ve still got a few weeks to go where we can swap out seed if we need to.”

Iowa Soybean Association Agronomist Lucas DeBruin says the farmers he works with in the state are sticking with their regular rotation and planting corn if that’s what the original plan was for this season.

“We use a lot of fall anhydrous here, so most guys are pretty locked into growing corn,” DeBruin says. “A lot of them also need the corn for livestock feed. Sometimes you can still squeeze a little bit more margin out of corn than the soybeans,” he adds, “and guys like growing corn more than soybeans. It’s more fun to pick corn.”

Look Before You Leap: The Ferrie Checklist

For farmers looking to change their seed order, Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie suggests taking a hard look at your balance sheet and your fields first. Here are some of his key recommendations:

Consider What You’ve Invested To Date: If you’ve already applied fall anhydrous or dry fertilizer for a corn crop, the “switch to beans” math doesn’t work. “You can’t afford to go to beans, because you’ve already spent the money,” Ferrie contends.

Account for the Yield Penalty: In a beans-after-beans scenario, Ferrie tells growers to expect a 5-to-7-bushel yield drag due to more stress from potential disease, insect and weed pressure. His question: “If you take 7 bushels off your bean yield, does it still cash flow against your corn APH?”

The Management “Claw Back": You can potentially mitigate some of the yield penalty in second-year soybeans by moving your planting date up from May to April, Ferrie says. Early planting helps the crop get an earlier and longer flowering period which can help recover some of the lost potential.

One morning this past week, Ferrie noted that the market was leaning back toward corn and that the see-saw between crops could continue this spring — another factor to keep in mind.

“Looking at the markets this morning, I think a lot of guys would prefer growing corn at $4.90 than beans at $11.10,” he contends.

The Continuous Soybean Playbook

For Gibson, success with continuous soybeans works based on a disciplined management system he relies on every year:

Fertility is Foundational. Even if you shift from corn to soybeans, Gibson says be aware that the beans could require more nutrients. He monitors his soil fertility closely, noting that continuous beans often require extra sulfur, phosphorus and potassium. He also keeps a close eye on micronutrients to ensure the crop won’t hit a hidden yield ceiling.

Non-Negotiable Seed Treatments: In continuous soybeans, the soil is more likely to become a reservoir for pathogens. Gibson hasn’t put a bare seed in the ground in 20 years. “Seed treatment guarantees me 100% replant,” he says. “It lets you sleep better at night knowing that if you get a heavy rain, you have that insurance to fall back on.”

Row Spacing and Canopy: Gibson plants in 15-inch rows at a rate of roughly 130,000 seeds per acre. The goals are quick emergence and a quick canopy. He believes a fast-closing row is your best defense against weeds and helps preserve soil moisture in the heavy gumbo. Seed treatment use and regular scouting help him feel confident in using narrow rows.

Keep Your Boots In The Field: In a corn-bean rotation, the “break” in the cycle helps farmers manage various diseases, insects and weeds. In continuous soybeans, you lose that advantage.

Gibson compensates by routine scouting and being prepared to address problems. “If you hear your neighbors have bug pressure, assume you will, too,” he says. “Don’t have the attitude that you can ‘get by,’ because you probably won’t.”

He has similar thoughts regarding weed pressure – “be proactive.” His program typically starts with a pre-emergence/burndown or early post application, with residual herbicides used to hold back weeds. If weeds break through, he is prepared to return with a post pass.

“We kind of wish sometimes we didn’t have to worry about weeds so much,” he says. “But if you don’t, then next thing you know, you think, ‘Oh, I wish we would have sprayed.’”

The Genetic Advantage: The final piece of the puzzle for Gibson is the advancement in soybean technology. He recalls the days when he says Williams 82 was his only real option for continuous soybeans. Today, advanced traits have made managing weeds and disease in continuous systems much more manageable, he notes.

On his continuous soybean acres, Gibson consistently sees yields average in the 50-to-60-bushel range. When he factors in the lower input costs compared to growing corn on heavy gumbo ground, he believes the decision to go with continuous soybeans is a good one. For Gibson, it’s not about following a trend— it’s about knowing what his land does best and having the management practices in place to succeed.

Solving The Sulfur Shortage In High-Yield Soybean Systems

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:45:27 GMT

As more farmers push to plant soybeans early, one nutrient is emerging as a valuable difference-maker in the crop: sulfur. The macronutrient is helping deliver some of the largest yield responses Shaun Casteel says he has seen in recent field trials.

“Never would you think you’d see double-digit results, let alone 20-bushel numbers in soybean yield from one treatment,” says Casteel, Purdue University agronomist and Extension soybean specialist.

Yet that’s exactly what he has documented in some Indiana fields where supplemental sulfur was applied, especially in early planted soybean fields.

Why Sulfur Matters More Now

Sulfur is required by all crops, but Casteel says soybean needs are unique compared with grass crops like corn. In soybeans, sulfur is critical as a co-factor for nodulation, the biological process that allows soybean plants to use atmospheric nitrogen (N).

“If we don’t have good sulfur supply, we don’t have good nodulation and fixation,” Casteel explains. “If you’re sold short on nitrogen in soybeans, you’re sold short on yield in a major way.”

Historically, sulfur came “free” from the atmosphere and also from mineralization of organic matter in the soil. Cleaner air regulations have reduced atmospheric deposition, and Casteel says many farmers are starting to see sulfur shortages that weren’t obvious just as recently as a decade ago.

Historically, sulfur was readily available to soybeans via atmospheric deposition (acid rain) from industrial emissions, providing 10 to 30 lbs./acre annually. Due to the 1970 Clean Air Act reducing emissions by over 95%, this “free” source has disappeared, making sulfur supplementation essential to prevent deficiencies, especially on sandy soils, according to University Extension.

(Shaun Casteel)

The classic high-response situations for sulfur — coarse-textured, sandy soils with less than 2% organic matter — still stand out. But Casteel’s work is showing the story for sulfur doesn’t end there.

“I also have fields that are flat and black as a table, with 4% organic matter, where we’re getting sizable yield differences,” he says.

Early Planting Amplifies Sulfur Response

Casteel links some of the most dramatic sulfur responses to a broader trend across the country: earlier soybean planting.

In Indiana, planting patterns have shifted sharply in recent years. Soybeans that once went in the ground two weeks after corn are now being planted within a day or two of corn — and in many cases, are planted first.

Early planting improves yield potential by giving soybeans more time to develop nodes and reproductive branches. But it can also expose a weakness in the natural sulfur supply.

For those farmers chasing higher yielding soybeans, Shaun Casteel believes the use of supplemental sulfur deserves more consideration.

(Shaun Casteel)

Casteel points out that mineralization of sulfur from soil organic matter depends on microbial activity and warm temperatures. When soybeans are planted in late April or early May, Indiana soils – as week as soils in other states – are often too cool for the microbes to release much sulfur.

“In those cooler conditions, that mineralization really isn’t occurring,” he says.

Across multiple studies where planting date was combined with sulfur use, Casteel has seen consistently stronger responses in early-planted soybeans.

“We’ve got years that we’re averaging an 8- to 11-bushel response on prairie soil,” he says. In these trials, sulfur was (e.g., ammonium sulfate, pelletized gypsum, ammonium thiosulfate) applied pre at 20 pounds per acre during a 5-year period.

Beyond Fertility: A Surprising Disease Connection

Sulfur’s role may extend beyond delivering nutrition and helping fix nitrogen in soybeans. Casteel and his research team are seeing signs that sulfur helps reduce the severity of sudden death syndrome (SDS) in soybeans.

In a 2023 soybean trial, as Casteel began rating symptoms of SDS, he noticed a clear difference between sulfur-treated and untreated strips.

“We had good conditions for SDS development — cool, wet conditions during early vegetative growth. We had a marked, substantial reduction in SDS in those areas that had the sulfur treatment,” he recalls.

The unexpected result prompted a deeper look in 2024, when Casteel worked with Plant Pathologist Darcy Telenko on trials that combined planting dates, sulfur rates and SDS inoculation. Early data from those studies pointed in the same direction: soybeans receiving sulfur showed reduced disease expression.

“Beyond the fertility effect, beyond the fixation-boosting capacity that comes with this, there is evidence that we have some disease control or suppression,” Casteel says, cautioning that the results are still based on only a few years of data.

“If you really think about it, the first fungicides on the market 100 years ago were sulfur-based, so it’s not too surprising that we might be seeing something here,” he adds.

Big Upsides Where Sulfur Use Fills The Gap

Casteel is careful to note that the sulfur response in soybeans is often site-specific. Classic sandy soils and low-organic-matter fields are prime candidates for the nutrient. But his work suggests that even high-organic-matter fields can show strong gains when sulfur is limiting.

(Shaun Casteel)

That variability doesn’t dampen his enthusiasm. Instead, he sees sulfur as a high-upside tool for intensive soybean managers who already have the basics — variety selection, disease packages, and timely planting — under control.

“It’s fun to have treatments out there that are providing hope and promise,” Casteel says. “We’re seeing numbers with sulfur that really move the needle.”

With earlier planting becoming the norm and biological sulfur supply under pressure, Casteel expects interest in using Sulfur to keep growing. For those growers chasing 100-bushel soybeans, especially, he believes sulfur deserves more consideration as they develop fertility plans.

“If you have not explored sulfur on your soybean crops, I suggest applying strips of S fertilizer that is soluble (e.g., ammonium sulfate, pelletized gypsum, ammonium thiosulfate) between 15- to 25-pounds of S per acre to determine if you have fields or production practices that are responsive to boosting nodulation and N fixation,” he recommends. “Applications can be applied mid-March through planting with higher rates the earlier you apply the S fertilizer.”

More information on Casteel’s research results with sulfur in soybeans is available here .

Making the Invisible Seen: How Artificial Intelligence is Unmasking Soybean Nematodes

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:20:15 GMT

Nematodes are nearly impossible to see with the naked eye, but their impact on soybean yields is about to come into clear focus. Thanks to a new digital tool from Syngenta called Nema Digital, the invisible is becoming visible.

The technology uses satellite imagery and artificial intelligence (AI) to scan soybean fields for crop stress that mimics nematode damage. According to Kirt L. Durand, PhD, Syngenta digital ag solutions R&D manager, the goal is to bridge the gap between what a farmer sees and what is actually happening in crops beneath the soil surface.

“Farmers might not even know that they’re losing yield due to this microscopic pest, and that’s what this technology is really all about – providing awareness,” he says.

How the Algorithm “Thinks”

Nema Digital is a satellite-based algorithm trained to distinguish nematode pressure from other common crop-production headaches like nutrient deficiencies, soil compaction, or simple field anomalies. By analyzing multiple years of historical satellite data, the system searches for specific patterns that match known nematode behavior and damage.

For farmers and retailers, the process is designed to be hands-off. Syngenta only needs basic information—field boundaries and crop history—much of which is already automated for those using the Syngenta Cropwise platform.

“Really, most of this is very automated at this point, very little input required from the farmer,” Durand says.

Once the data is incorporated, the AI filters out any visual noise.

“When we get done, it narrows it down and says, with high accuracy 90% of the time, this is going to be a problem caused by nematodes,” Durand says.

The Limits of the Soil Probe

While traditional soil sampling has been the standard tool to check for nematodes, Durand notes research shows how easy for a sample to miss them.

He points to research from Iowa State University nematologist Greg Tylka, which shows that nematode egg counts can vary wildly just a few feet apart. You could pull a core sample that looks clean, while two feet away, thousands of eggs are feeding on your profits.

“You can imagine that if you’ve been looking for nematodes simply by soil sampling, it’s not accurate enough,” Durand says.

Protecting the Bottom Line

The financial stakes of nematode pressure are high. Research from The SCN Coalition indicates that nematodes commonly cause a 25% yield loss in infected soybean fields, but in severe cases—or when multiple species like root-knot and soybean cyst nematode (SCN) team up—that loss can skyrocket past 70%.

“When you have multiple species of nematode present, the impact on soybeans tends to be even more severe than just SCN alone,” Durand says.

One way Durand says farmers and retailers will be able visualize that impact is to pair Nema Digital results with yield maps. By overlaying the nematode output on harvested yield, Durand says growers and retailers often can see a clear connection between areas flagged for nematode pressure and zones of lower yield.

“You can actually see in the field where we identify that you have a nematode problem, and if you put a yield map on it, we’ve seen that those areas tend to have lower yields versus the average yield for that entire field,” he says.

Commercial Launch In 2027

While Nema Digital is being piloted through select retail partners and their farmer customers in 2026, Syngenta expects a broad commercial launch next year.

For soybean growers wondering about the return on investment for the technology, Durand stops short of assigning a specific dollar figure. But he stresses that identifying nematode pressure is the first step to protecting yield with available tools, including Syngenta’s new broad-spectrum nematicide seed treatment, Victrato.

Ultimately, Durand’s message to growers is simple: don’t confuse “invisible” with “absent.”

“The issue is out there,” he says. “We want to help farmers be aware of it and what they’re losing.”

Use This 4-Step Checklist for 97%-Plus Waterhemp Control

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 19:44:09 GMT

In the constant battle to keep soybean fields clean, few weeds have proven as difficult for farmers to control as waterhemp.

“Last year, in 2025 we struggled a lot with waterhemp, and that’s a weed that’s going to continue to present problems for us,” notes Mike Hannewald, field agronomist with Beck’s Hybrids.

Seasonlong competition by waterhemp (more than 20 plants per square foot) has been shown to reduce soybean yield by 44%. Waterhemp emerging as late as V5 soybean reduced yields up to 10%, according to Take Action .

Hannewald’s message to farmers for 2026 is this: Controlling waterhemp isn’t about a single product or pass. It’s about designing a thoughtful, layered herbicide program that starts before the planter rolls.

Here is a summary of the four key practices he recommends:

1. Begin the season with clean fields.

The first principle is deceptively simple: start clean.

Hannewald advises using a burndown herbicide pass or properly set tillage if you’re in conventional tillage to completely remove existing weeds before planting.

“Make sure the tillage tool is actually set to tear the weeds out, checking that they’re fully uprooted and not just being knocked over,” he says.

2. Use a “three in the pre” herbicide application

Beck’s Practical Farm Research (PFR) data shows when three modes of action are used in a pre-emerge application to control waterhemp, 97% control was achieved and maintained 45 days after treatment.

“That residual can be either made after we do our tillage or combined with our burndown pass,” Hannewald says.

Adding a third site-of-action chemistry delivered an 8% boost over the use of two SOAs.

(Beck’s Hybrids)

Because there are many active ingredients available — and even more brand names — it’s easy to not succeed in getting three different chemistries in the tank. To help minimize confusion, Hannewald recommends tuning into the chemistry group numbers.

He recommends soybean growers use some combination of three herbicides from these four groups:

Group 2: Amino acid synthesis inhibitors, such as cloransulam.
Group 5: Photosynthesis inhibitors, such as metribuzin.
Group 14: Cell membrane disruptors, such as sulfentrazone
Group 15: Seedling root growth inhibitors, such as metolachlor, acetochlor and pyroxasulfone

“Now, if you are planting XtendFlex soybeans and you’re using an approved version of dicamba as your burndown, dicamba does have residual value, so that counts as one of the three,” Hannewald says. “But if you’re using 2,4-D on Enlist soybeans, 2,4-D does not have residual value, so that doesn’t count. You need to add three additional modes of action there.”

For more insights on specific Group Numbers, the MOAs, and product brand names, be sure to check out the 2025 Take Action Herbicide Classification Chart.

3. Make a post-herbicide pass prior to flowering

If building a strong pre strategy is partly about chemistry, the next step—timing the post pass—is about mindset. For many soybean growers, waiting to spray until weeds are obvious is a common course of action. Hannewald believes it’s time to change that thinking.

“This is the biggest mindset shift for us to stay ahead of waterhemp, and that’s spraying your soybeans before flowering,” he says.

In practical terms, this means moving the post pass much earlier than many farmers are used to—often when the field appears relatively clean (e.g. around V3 rather than R1).

“In most cases, you’re probably going to be driving through the field thinking, ‘I don’t need to be out here at this point because there’s not much weed pressure, if at all,’” he says.

But targeting small weeds early, before the beans canopy, allows you to get good coverage and control. This is especially important if you’re going to spray glufosinate (Liberty), reports Isaac Ferrie, Crop-Tech Consulting field agronomist.

According to the label Liberty can be sprayed on LibertyLink soybeans from emergence up to the R1 growth stage (first bloom).

“That means once 50% of those plants out there have one flower on them, we can’t spray Liberty,” Ferrie says.

Another consideration is the impact of later herbicide applications on yield potential.

A PFR study that compared herbicide applications in soybeans at V3 to those made at R1 found the latter application caused a yield decrease.

“We saw losses of 1.2 bushels to 2.5 bushels per acre just from the R1 application stressing that soybean plant,” Hannewald explains. “Even though our beans are tolerant to these herbicides, it still takes energy for that soybean plant to process that herbicide, metabolize it, break it down and get rid of it, and that energy causes stress on the plant.”

A post application with glufosinate (Liberty) gets another chemistry in the weed-control mix, which helps stop weeds and the opportunity for resistance to build.

(Beck’s Hybrids)

4. Add an in-season residual with the post pass

Step four is adding an in-season residual to the post pass. This is what makes the early post pass work.

“At this point, we still have some soil visible, and when we add that in-season residual, it’s like you’re laying a blanket across that soil to stop late-emerging waterhemp from growing,” says Hannewald.

He adds that he likes using a Group 15 herbicide as the residual now, because they’re effective on small-seeded broadleaf weeds.

Hannewald says Beck’s PFR shows farmers get 6% additional control – going from 88% to 94% control of waterhemp at harvest – by adding the in-season residual.

“While 6% may not seem like a whole lot, that works out to 17.1 million fewer viable waterhemp seeds per acre going in our seed bank for the next year and future years,” he says.

Fewer weed seeds means fewer waterhemp to deal with the following year.

(Beck’s Hybrids)

In summary, Hannewald boils his recommendations for 2026 down to a four-step framework: start clean, layer three modes of action into the pre pass, move the post application earlier—before flowering—and add an in-season residual to carry the field through canopy and into harvest with fewer waterhemp.

He adds that soybean growers can adapt those four steps to their own equipment, weed spectrum and trait platforms, but the underlying strategy remains the same: think proactively, diversify chemistry, and protect yield potential for this year and in the future. Listen to his full list of recommendations here .

How A New Tool Will Redefine the Battle Against Soybean Cyst Nematode

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:10:41 GMT

Beneath healthy-looking soybean fields across the U.S., a microscopic thief quietly steals bushels—and billions of dollars—without farmers ever knowing it’s there. Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) has become the nation’s most destructive soybean pest, inflicting an estimated $1.5 billion in yield losses annually while typically leaving no obvious signs of distress above ground.

That was Michael and Dennis Gallagher’s experience with SCN on their west-central Iowa farm some years ago, after getting their first yield monitor in 1998. During harvest, Dennis saw soybean yields registering 55 to 60 bushels across the field on the monitor. Then, in one area of the same field, yield suddenly dropped into the mid‑30s — with no visible difference in the crop.

“Dad wasn’t surprised to see a few drops here and there, but not a 20-bushel one,” Michael recalls.

The unexplained drop pushed Dennis to pull soil samples. The test came back showing very high SCN egg counts — a " huge number,” Mike recalls, confirming soybean cyst nematode as the cause of the hidden loss.

“That was our aha moment,” Michael recalls. “I was only 7 years old at the time, but that made a big impression on me.”

A Fundamental Shift in SCN Management

Since that SCN discovery, the Gallaghers have incorporated the use of native traits — PI 88788 and Peking — in their soybean crops to counter the pest, along with rotating to corn.

Michael adds that they look forward to using a new solution for SCN on the way from BASF Agricultural Solutions, Nemasphere. It is the first-ever biotech trait designed specifically to address SCN and prevent soybean yield loss.

Nemasphere represents a fundamental industry shift in the battle against SCN, unlike traditional native resistance found in PI 88788 and Peking. Nemasphere is based on a transgenic trait—a Cry14 protein engineered directly into the soybean, says Hugo Borsari, BASF vice president of business management for seeds in North America.

The protein targets SCN the moment the pest feeds on developing roots, delivering up to a 60% reduction in SCN populations. The transgenic trait helps farmers capture significantly higher soybean yields compared to traditional varieties relying solely on native traits.

“We’re not just adding yield; we’re giving farmers access to the yield potential SCN has taken away,” says Borsari.

Yield Protection as a Game Changer

SCN often skims up to 30% of the soybean yield potential in infected fields. When considering what that loss represents in dollars, the impact is staggering, reports Greg Tylka, Iowa State University nematologist and professor.

“You want to make the most return on investment from your input costs, and then you got this microscopic, some people think imaginary, little critter that lives in the soil that’s kind of holding back your yield,” he says. “So the better you can manage SCN, the more you’re going to get out of your seed, your fertilizer, your herbicides, and so forth.”

Importantly, Nemasphere controls SCN before egg development. Female SCN remove roughly 30 times more nutrients from the plant than males due to the energy required for egg production. Blocking that production provides a direct hit on future SCN populations and an immediate protection of plant resources.

Because the new trait is expressed by the plant itself, the protection follows the roots as they grow, rather than staying confined to the seed zone.

“You’ll get season-long control all the way out to the growing tips of the root, which is extremely important, because we know SCN always wants to infest the growing parts of the root system,” says Mike McCarville, trait technology lead for BASF.

Do You Have SCN In Your Soybean Fields?

For farmers who don’t know whether they have SCN, Tylka recommends soil testing for them.

Another option to consider, he adds, is to think about whether your soybean yields are not increasing while your corn yields are.

“If you’re seeing your corn yields go steadily up while your soybeans are not, that’s often a key sign you have SCN,” Tylka notes.

More Than a Nematicide: A Comprehensive Package

While stopping SCN is the primary focus, Nemasphere is being developed as part of a broader yield protection package. The trait will be stacked with the Enlist E3 herbicide system and adds tolerance to mesotrione (HPPD chemistry), providing a residual pre-emergence herbicide option in soybeans.

McCarville sees the package as a way to tackle multiple yield-limiting factors simultaneously. “All of this is driving at growers being able to harvest more of the yield potential that our breeders deliver every year and get out of that stagnating yield position in soybeans,” he says.

USDA estimates the genetic gain in soybean varieties is roughly 1 bushel per acre per year, but SCN and other environmental stresses mean farmers often only see a fraction of that progress in their bins. “What’s actually harvested is somewhere between a quarter and a half of that potential that the breeders are delivering,” McCarville notes.

Along with helping farmers “recapture” existing soybean yield potential, the new trait helps shut down additional disease issues that can develop from the damage SCN causes. McCarville estimates that roughly a third of all soybean disease losses are tied to SCN in some way. Issues like seedling blights, Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), and brown stem rot can all become more frequent or more severe when SCN is present.

“SCN doesn’t just cause harm by itself,” he says. “It’s like the instigator at a party, encouraging everybody else to misbehave and cause problems. Both the incidence and severity of these other diseases are increased by SCN.”

Looking Ahead To 2028

With Nemasphere slated for a 2028 commercial release, the industry is looking toward a future where SCN is finally held in check.

McCarville says farmers interested in giving the new technology a hard look will have the opportunity in extensive field plots this year and will be testing the product in 2027.

For more information on the technology and where to see it at work, reach out to your local BASF representative or retailer.

Know The Rules For Dicamba Use In Your State

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 19:50:50 GMT

The EPA has finalized the dicamba label for the next two growing seasons, bringing much-needed clarity to U.S. farmers. But while over-the-top (OTT) use is officially back, it arrives with the most restrictive federal requirements farmers have seen to date for products like Engenia , Tavium , and Bayer’s new XtendiMax replacement, Stryax .

In some cases, states are adopting stronger regulations for dicamba use, especially with regard to temperature and calendar cutoffs:

Temperature Cutoff: The federal label mandates a 95°F forecast high as a hard cutoff. If the National Weather Service forecasts a high above 95°F, you cannot legally spray OTT dicamba that day.
No Federal Calendar Cutoff: Unlike previous labels, the EPA has not set a nationwide calendar deadline.

State-Specific Restrictions In Place

Illinois and Minnesota are two states, so far, that are going with stricter regulations for temperature and application timing cutoffs for dicamba.

Illinois is using an 85°F forecast high as the cutoff for dicamba applications in soybeans.

“If you load your sprayer and it is 78 degrees at 10 a.m. in the morning, but the forecasted high by the National Weather Service is supposed to be 85 or 86, that is a do-not-spray day,” says Kevin Johnson, director of government relations and strategy for the Illinois Soybean Association.

Deadline for application: Plan for a June 20 cutoff for OTT applications, Johnson says.

Minnesota:

Temperature: Minnesota is using an 85°F forecast high cutoff for dicamba applications in soybeans.

Deadline for applications: June 12 cutoff south of I-94; June 30 cutoff north of I-94, according to Dicamba Restrictions Announced for 2026 Growing Season .

Shifting Your Weed Control Strategy

Because of the tighter application timing windows in Illinois, Johnson anticipates there could be a shift in how farmers there use the chemistry. He expects many Illinois farmers to move dicamba to a pre-emergence timing rather than post-emergence, saving OTT dicamba only for “super high weed” pressure situations.

With many seed trait packages now stacking dicamba and glufosinate (Liberty) tolerance, Johnson says to expect “a lot more guys using Liberty on the back end.”

In addition, the EPA is tying dicamba use to mandatory conservation practices. Farmers can find more details on the Bulletins Live! Two Website

“We’re still waiting on a lot of details on what those conservation practices are,” Johnson says. “Bulletins Live! Two is a good website, but it’s, I’ll say clunky… it’s not real easy to just find one thing and find what you need,” he cautions.

Record Keeping: Don’t Risk A $700 Fine

The most immediate hurdle for many farmers interested in using the technology this spring will be the paperwork. In Illinois, the Department of Agriculture uses a 22-question record-keeping sheet specifically for dicamba.

“If I can stress anything in this call, do your record keeping,” Johnson emphasizes. “If you ever get called in on a complaint, the first thing they ask you for is your record keeping. If you do not have all 22 questions filled out, you are going to get a $700 fine. There’s no questions asked.”

To stay ahead of that risk, Johnson advises Illinois farmers to complete records on a timely basis, not “later when things slow down.” He urges them to fill out as much of the form as possible before the season begins, including static information about equipment, farm identifiers, and general practices, then finish the day-specific entries in the cab during or immediately after the job. Some of the information—like wind speed, wind direction, and exact application timing—can only be captured accurately in real time.

For custom applications, the legal burden for record keeping falls on the applicator, Johnson adds, but growers should still ask for copies for their own files and talk openly with retailers about documentation expectations.

All of this points toward one overarching need, Johnson says: have a clear herbicide game plan for 2026, especially if you plan to use dicamba, and build in contingencies. He addresses more of the dicamba requirements specific to Illinois farmers in a recent Field Advisor podcast, available here .

Why Soybeans Don't Need A Perfect Stand To Deliver High Yields

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 20:00:12 GMT

Soybeans are built to “improvise, adapt and overcome,” says Purdue Extension soybean specialist Shaun Casteel. But whether they can actually do that in your fields early in the season depends heavily on a few management decisions you control.

Here are three takeaways from Casteel’s recent presentation at the 2026 Illinois Soybean Field Advisor Forum that focus on his planting and replanting recommendations.

1. Before You Plant, Check The Forecast For The Following 24 Hours

Many farmers aim for the “50°F soil temp” rule when heading to fields to plant and, while that’s on track, Casteel thinks that’s only half right.

“Soybeans can germinate at [temperatures] as low as 36 to 43 degrees,” he said. “But it’s not necessarily soil temperature [we’re concerned about], even though that’s what we’re measuring, it’s the water temperature.”

A soybean seed must absorb (imbibe) approximately 50% of its own dry weight in moisture for germination to start. But if it absorbs cold water, the seed can be injured, resulting in damaged cell membranes, reduced germination, and dead or weak seedlings.

Casteel’s recommendation: if a cold front with rain is headed your way and likely to occur in the next 12 to 24 hours, hold off on planting, even if the soil temperature looks OK or you feel the calendar is pushing you to plant.

He adds that the time to soybean germination and emergence is related to heat unit accumulation (GDDs), noting there “is >50% emergence after 140 to 160 air GDDs.”

2. Aim for 1.5" Planting Depth and Good Seed-to-Soil Contact
Planting depth is important for soybeans’ ability to emerge well, and it also plays a big role in setting up root hair growth, nodulation and the plants’ access to nutrients.

“If you don’t have good root hair development, guess what? You don’t have good nodulation, you don’t have a good nitrogen supply. Kiss those high yields goodbye,” Casteel says.

As a rule of thumb for planting, he recommends farmers place soybean seed at 1.5” deep with a variance of between 1.25” to 1.75” depending on soil moisture and residue.

He advises against chasing moisture too deep, like you might if planting corn, as soybeans don’t handle deeper planting well. What happens if you plant too deep? Casteel says there are commonly three results:

1) The hypocotyl has to pull cotyledons farther to reach the surface. 2) That extra distance costs time and energy, so emergence is slower and less uniform. 3) In cool or crust-prone soils, deep-planted beans are more likely to stall or die before they break through the soil surface.

3. Don’t Be In A Hurry To Replant Soybeans. Evaluate Your Stand Thoroughly First.

Casteel urges farmers to be more cautious about replanting soybeans. His own line in the sand is around 70,000 plants per acre. At or above that level, with healthy, evenly distributed plants, his data shows soybeans usually deliver about 95% of full yield potential, making a replant hard to justify. He also notes that stands in the 66,000 to 100,000 range often end up with very similar yield results.

The reason is soybeans will compensate. In delayed-emergence and overseeding studies, Casteel says he found that when part of the stand emerged late, the original plants simply “branched more and produced a larger share of the yield.”

In one scenario he evaluated, the original plants contributed 60% of the yield and the late-emerging plants 40%, yet the total yield matched a uniform stand. In a V2-type “replant” timing, roughly 95% of yield still came from the original soybean plants and only 5% from the later ones.

Because of that, Casteel says most soybean replants at V2 are “just making us feel good rather than making us more money.” Once plants are established and starting to branch, overseeding or tearing them up rarely changes the final bushels much, but it does add cost and risk.

Where he says a “full reset” is likely needed is when stands are around 50,000 to 60,000 plants per acre and it’s still roughly the first week of May—before the original plants have much node development or branching. Outside of that scenario, his research and experience say the better decision is usually to leave the stand alone and let soybeans compensate.

If you can manage that, Casteel contends soybeans will usually do what they’re designed to do: “They can improvise, adapt and overcome. It’s our job not to get in the way,” he says.

Hear Casteel’s complete presentation at the Field Advisor Forum on YouTube here . Be sure to check out what he says about managing corn residue after the 2026 harvest, so it doesn’t negatively impact your soybean crop the following year.

No-Cost And Low-Cost Ways To Grow More Profitable Soybeans

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 17:01:44 GMT

As soybean growers face razor-thin margins next year, the temptation to chase new products and practices is understandable. But decades of research show that the most reliable return on investment doesn’t come in a jug—it comes from focusing on good fundamentals.

University of Minnesota Extension agronomist Seth Naeve tells Farming The Countryside host Andrew McCrea there are a number of reliable practices that can help farmers grow more profitable soybeans with little or no added cost next season. Here are five of them:

1. Use Row Spacing To Your Advantage.

Row spacing is one of the most underrated tools farmers have available, Naeve reports. Across a wide range of environments, narrowing soybeans from 30-inch rows to 20–22 inches will deliver about a 5% yield increase.

“That’s three or four bushels, in a lot of cases,” he says. “Farmers are working really hard, buying a lot of products out there, trying to increase their yields by two or three bushels; whereas, adjusting their row spacing would get them to that basically guaranteed.”

Naeve adds that if farmers go from 30-inch rows to drilled soybeans, they could potentially pick up 10% additional yield.

“That would take you from 60 bushels to 66 bushels or from 80 bushels to 88 bushels. It’s not at all unrealistic,” he says.

Why narrow rows deliver on better yield: the canopy closes faster, there’s better light interception by the crop and more efficient use of space.

Naeve says he has preached the message that farmers can benefit from going with narrow rows for years, but the practice hasn’t gained as much traction as he believes it warrants. Equipment cost has been one deterrent, and the other is farmers just haven’t bought into the practice.

“Farmers pretty much universally believe that the row spacing they’re using is probably the best for them, and I think that makes them feel comfortable about their systems,” Naeve says. “I certainly can’t argue with them if that’s really their belief.”

Still, Naeve wants to encourage farmers who are changing planters or open to adjusting their systems to seriously consider going with narrow rows.

2. Consider Whether You Can Scale Back On Plant Population.

Research shows farmers can achieve maximum soybean yields with fewer plants per acre when they focus on achieving a uniform stand across fields.

“We can optimize yields at very low levels” Naeve says. “We have done a ton of research showing where we have yields that are maximized at below 100,000 plants per acre, as long as they’re well distributed.”

Naeve says to use precision placement practices where possible. You can adjust seeding rates upward as needed to address tough areas within fields, higher risk conditions (cold, crusting soils), or if you’re using lower-quality seed.

“My take home on this is a farmer wants to ensure they’ve got 100,000 plants on every single acre of their whole farm,” Naeve says. “But if they don’t sleep well at night because they’re concerned about their crop, adding another 5,000 or 10,000 seeds is an easy way to fix it.”

3. Plant Early—Within Reason.

Naeve says across most of the Midwest, the sweet spot for planting soybeans is from late April into early May.

“Very early May planting puts us into a situation where we can basically maximize yields across almost all the Corn Belt,” he notes.

Going earlier than late April can help yields in some years, but risk rises from poor environmental conditions (cold, wet soils). A freeze will also cancel the benefits.

For many growers, Naeve says the “real decision” is whether to plant soybeans or corn first, and more farmers are finding that putting some soybeans in the ground ahead of corn can be a winning strategy.

4. Consider Using Reduced Tillage.

In northern areas like Minnesota, full no-till soybeans often lag a few bushels behind conventional tillage due to slower warming of soils and slower emergence. But Naeve says there is a lot of middle ground for farmers to consider with their tillage practices.

For one, he says strip tillage can deliver comparable results to full tillage with less fuel and machinery costs along with providing less soil disturbance.

“Reducing the number of passes, even if not full no-till, saves money and protects soil health without a big yield hit,” he says.

5. Spend Input Dollars Where You Know They Pay.

Stay with tried-and-true products in these tight times, Naeve encourages. He says research shows that products sold mainly as yield enhancers or general “plant health” boosters rarely deliver consistent yield benefits across multiple locations and years.

What does consistently pay: making sure fertility, especially macronutrients, is not yield limiting, and investing the time to choose the best varieties for your ground and practices.

“Variety selection is one of the most profitable decisions a soybean farmer makes, yet it is also one of the hardest,” he says. “If farmers move from premium brands to more economical seed this season, they can still do well, but they must be more careful in sorting through the options because there may be more variability in performance.”

Get more insights on how to make soybeans more profitable in the year ahead by listening to the discussion between Naeve and McCrea on Farming The Countryside at the link below:

Living Sensors Turn Soybeans into Fungal Disease Detectives

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 21:06:49 GMT

For Aidan Kleinschmit, trying to get the upper hand over white mold disease in soybeans used to involve a frustrating amount of guesswork.

White mold can lurk in soybean fields undetected for weeks, causing significant damage before any visible symptoms appear. Kleinschmit says his annual struggle with the disease turned a corner this past season when he decided to trial the use of CropVoice from InnerPlant.

“I remember they sent out an alert on a Saturday night about white mold being detected, and by Monday we had decided we were going to treat,” recounts Kleinschmit, who farms in northeast Nebraska with his dad and brother.

“That put us way ahead of the white mold, because by the time you see it some damage is done,” Kleinschmit adds. “You might get disease suppression from a fungicide at that point, but you’re going to have some yield loss.”

Early Detection: A Game-Changer For Disease Control
The proactive treatment Kleinschmit made included whole-field fungicide applications as well as some targeted spot spraying with a drone over 500-plus acres. The payoff was evident in yield results Kleinschmit saw at harvest.

“We sprayed one entire field in our bottom ground, and it made about 86 bushels per acre,” he says. “That was well over, probably 25 bushels better, than what some of the other fields in our bottom ground yielded.”

Gary Schaefer, chief commercial officer at InnerPlant, says the big takeaway with CropVoice is the tool gives farmers real-time disease detection, informing decisions on whether to spray a fungicide. This directly addresses the ambiguity that farmers like Kleinschmit have long faced with disease management decisions.

“CropVoice is designed to deliver ROI by either saving costs in years when spraying isn’t necessary, or by enabling timely, effective action during heavy disease pressure, significantly improving the efficacy and financial return of fungicide applications,” Schaefer says.

While Schaefer doesn’t say what the return-on-investment for using CropVoice is, he contends that for every dollar a farmer spends on technology or an input “they should get at least $3 back,” a number Kleinschmit affirms as being on par for his expectations.

A ‘Cell Phone Tower’ for Soybean Fields
CropVoice is the first product InnerPlant has designed for farmers. How the technology works hinges on a seed biotech trait the company has developed that turns soybeans into living sensors that detect disease at the molecular level. The soybeans emit a fluorescent optical signal within 48 hours of a fungal infection – before any visible symptoms appear.

The company is placing its soybeans in sentinel plots that act like an early alert system in a defined geography. CropVoice analyzes the data coming from the plots 24/7. If a foliar disease moves into the plots, farmers and retailers working with InnerPlant are alerted that the disease is in their area.

Schaefer says to think of the sentinel plots as working like a network of cell towers for farmers whose fields are the cell phones.
“What you’re subscribing to is the network of cell towers that gives coverage for a broad area,” he explains.

For 2026, InnerPlant is placing 100 sentinel plots in fields across Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota to achieve the cell tower network effect for farmers in those states. Each plot will range in size from one-eighth acre to one-fourth of an acre.

Cultural Practices Play An Important Role
The soybeans grown in the sentinel plots mimic the cultural practices representative of soybean growers in each state. The strategy ensures highly relevant data for farms that are enrolled in InnerPlant’s program, which is implemented through strategic partnerships with retailers, Schaefer reports.

Farmers enroll their soybean acres in the InnerPlant network for a fee ($6 per acre for 2026). Retailers facilitate the process, mapping fields into the company’s program for retailers’ continuous monitoring throughout the growing season.

Participating farmers get weekly scouting reports, which include a disease score indicating risk levels in their area along with a detailed map showing any disease progression in their area. In addition, the company provides real-time disease alerts that are pushed directly to farmers via text anytime CropVoice detects a disease in the sentinel plots in thearea.

“The plants will turn on to any fungal pathogen,” Schaefer reports. He says end-of-year scouting reports from 2025 in Nebraska and Illinois revealed the detection of between five and seven different fungal pathogens in the company’s plots.

Kleinschmit says the proximity of the sentinel plots to his soybean fields and the early text alerts are two of the factors that sold him on enrolling a portion of his acres in the program.

“We’re only going to spray acres that we think are going to be affected by white mold at this point. I thought the technology really gave us a good benefit there,” says Kleinschmit.

“There are so many variables and moving parts in farming, so if there’s a way to help minimize the guesswork to help us make a good decision, I’m going to look into it and try it,” he adds.

Other technologies are also being explored by researchers for early soybean disease detection, such as hyperspectral imaging for charcoal rot and the Sporecaster smartphone app from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The latter predicts white mold risk based on weather data and field conditions.

Expanding the Network: Coverage for 2026 and Beyond
InnerPlant expects to scale up to more than 500,000 soybean acres across Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota in 2026 and plans to expand beyond those states over time.

To learn more about the technology, farmers can connect with participating ag retailers or reach out directly to InnerPlant.
Schaefer says the companyis hosting demos this winter, offering a firsthand look at this real-time, plant-based technology that could redefine how farmers address key diseases in the future.

He adds that InnerPlant will start field testing a corn fungal sensor in 2026, aiming to expand the plant-based disease detection technology to even more farmers and geographies in the coming years.

InnerPlant is partnering with local ag retailers to introduce CropVoice. The 2026 retailer network includes:

Illinois
Sun Ag

Iowa
Agriland
FSC
NEW
Nutrien

Nebraska
Aurora Cooperative
CHS
Hwy 75-Chem
Norder Supply
Nutrien
Rawhide Fertilizer, LLC

South Dakota
CHS
Nutrien

Red Crown Rot Rising: What Every Soybean Grower Needs to Know For 2026

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 20:06:16 GMT

Red crown rot, a soilborne fungal disease that can cut soybean yields by 70% in severe cases, warrants consideration as farmers in affected areas finalize their variety selections and management plans for next year, agronomic experts say.

Historically prevalent in the southern U.S., red crown rot (RCR) is now moving northward with confirmations in at least seven key soybean-producing states since 2018, including Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin, according to the Crop Protection Network.

The speed at which the disease can move is illustrated by its progress in Illinois. A single infected field was identified there in 2018. Since then, RCR has spread to more than one-third of the state’s 102 counties.

In Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin, agronomists confirmed isolated cases of the disease in farmers’ soybean fields for the first time just this year.

“When the disease was found in Minnesota (Rock County) in August 2025, the nearest known location with red crown rot was over 400 miles away in NW Illinois,” says Dean Malvick, University of Minnesota Extension plant pathologist.

Compounding concerns is that the modes by which red crown rot is spreading into the Midwest aren’t fully known, he adds.

Red crown rot is on the move in the Midwest, with isolated cases confirmed in Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin soybeans just this year.

(Crop Protection Network)

Seed Companies Are Working On Solutions
“Most or all soybean varieties” adapted to the Midwest that have been evaluated by researchers to date appear to be susceptible to the disease, although differences in disease susceptibility have been reported, Malvick notes.

“Certainly, the seed companies are looking at resistance… and are getting some idea of what genetic backgrounds relate to resistance to red crown rot,” he said during a recent podcast .

While no soybean varieties are fully resistant, high-performing, disease-tolerant seed can help growers reduce the potential impact of RCR, according to Bill Kessinger, Stine technical agronomist.

Red crown rot can be tricky to identify early in the season, and its symptoms tend to be more prevalent in July and early August. On leaves, it often looks like SDS, showing yellowing and browning between the veins, according to Dean Malvick, University of Minnesota plant pathologist.

(University of Illinois plant pathologists)

Kessinger tells growers in affected areas he believes the No. 1 goal is to continue focusing on selecting high-yielding soybeans that will provide the best return-on-investment. Secondly, then consider how well those varieties score for resistance to RCR before making your final selections.

“We have to understand, with regard to seed, what we are going to give up compared to what we are going to get, and what risk we want to take as a grower,” Kessinger says. “It’s not an all or nothing decision … and everything still has to revert back to yield.”

BMPs And Seed Treatments Can Help
Integrated management practices are critical to addressing RCR, as the fungus overwinters and survives in the soil, reports Horacio Lopez-Nicora, Ohio State University assistant professor of soybean pathology and nematology.

“Once established, this pathogen is nearly impossible to eradicate, so integrated management is the only sustainable path forward to reduce its impact on our soybean crop,” Lopez-Nicora explains in an online article .

He says practices such as crop rotation with nonhost crops, improving drainage, using seed-applied fungicides and managing soybean cyst nematode populations — which can intensify red crown rot severity — will be important to farmers working to protect yields in RCR-affected areas next season.

Malvick adds that some seed treatment fungicides are reported to reduce the impact of red crown rot in soybeans.

“There’s more evidence building now that’s showing some of them work against both SDS and red crown rot,” Malvick says. “We don’t again have that evidence for the northern U.S. but we have enough information to say we probably have products that will be reasonably effective at least.”

Current soybean seed treatment options include Saltro and Victrato (pydiflumetofen, cyclobutrifluram; Syngenta), ILeVO (fluopyram; BASF) and Pretium SDS, a biological seed treatment (natamycin; Nufarm). Manufacturers advise checking with local retailers to see which seed treatment products are approved for use in your specific location.

Your next read: New Seed Treatments Available For Soybeans, Cotton & Cereals

China Lowers Tariffs on U.S. Ag Goods but Soybeans Still Subject to 13% Tax

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:25:43 GMT

China is providing some clarity on tariffs.In response to President Trump lowering the fentanyl tariff from 20% to 10%, China dropped it 15% retaliatory tariffs imposed on U.S. ag goods March 4 for one year.

However, Mark Knight, Farmer’s Keeper Financial says they didn’t eliminate all of the reciprocal tariffs on ag goods,"China did keep 10% tariffs in place. So,it’s really a 13% total tariff for incoming soybeans. Argentina and Brazil get charged 3%. And so we’re still 10% higher than that.”

Which he says makes it tough for U.S. soybeans to compete for China business.

“So we’re a little bit more expensive, you know, ballpark a dollar than Brazil right now,” he adds.

As a result, China reportedly bought soybeans from Brazil this week according to Randy Martinson, Martinson Ag.
” That was the report yesterday is that they bought 10 cargoes for December delivery. The other 10 were for that February to July delivery time frame. And this, you know, it’s not normal for Brazil to be selling soybeans to China in December.”

While the Chinese government owned grain entities can wave the tariff, private crushers cannot. So, with the 13% tariff on U.S. beans it may keep Chinese crushers out of the market. Knight says, “Yes, the government has stepped in just to, you know, try to show good faith and and hopefully meet their expectations from this trade deal of 12 million metric tons. But private sector has no reason to, they’re all going to be price driven.”

So the question is will China uphold the new purchase agreement or does the new deal have a commercial consideration out clause like the Phase One deal?

Martinson says, “As soon as we get the trade deal signed by both countries, we’ll be able to see a little bit more of the details. But as of now, it looks like it might be a little bit closer to what the phase one trade deal was.

Meanwhile, the market is watching the Supreme Court case on the constitutionality of Trump’s IEEPA tariffs.

Knight says, “The way they’ve been voting as of late, generally with the Trump administration, I’m not expecting them to voting, you know, when its all said and done to go against them.”

Martinson says even if the ruling goes against the administration they have a alternative tariff options, “If they find it so that he has to back away from the current method of tariffs, he’ll come in with a different method of putting the tariffs on and still use them.”

Which means the administration will continue to use the tariffs as leverage for further trade deals.

Beijing Lifts Some Tariffs on US Farm Goods but Soybeans Stay Costly

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 12:47:16 GMT

China will suspend retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports, including duties on farm goods, after last week’s meeting of the two countries’ leaders, Beijing confirmed on Wednesday, but imports of U.S. soybeans still face a 13% tariff.

The tariff commission of the State Council, or cabinet, will scrap duties of up to 15% imposed on some U.S. agricultural goods from November 10, while keeping levies of 10% introduced in response to President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” duties .

Investors on both sides of the Pacific were relieved when Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, easing fears that the world’s two largest economies might abandon talks to resolve a tariff war that has disrupted global supply chains.

Trump and the White House were quick to issue their take on the meeting, but the Chinese side did not immediately give a detailed summary of what it had agreed.

“Broadly, it’s a great sign that the two sides are making rapid progress in putting the deal into effect,” said Even Rogers Pay, a director at Beijing-based Trivium China.

“It shows they’re aligned and that the agreement is likely to hold up.”

The tariff cut nonetheless leaves Chinese buyers of U.S. soybeans facing tariffs of 13%, a cost traders said makes U.S. shipments still too expensive for commercial buyers, compared to Brazilian alternatives.

“We don’t expect any demand from China to return to the U.S. market with this change,” said one trader at an international trading company. “Brazil is cheaper than the United States and even non-Chinese buyers are taking Brazilian cargoes.”

After the meeting, the White House said China would purchase at least 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans in the last two months of 2025 and at least 25 million tons in each of the next three years.

Beijing has yet to confirm those figures, and traders are watching closely for signs of large-scale purchases.

CHEAPER BRAZILIAN BEANS

Chinese importers recently bought 20 cargoes of cheaper Brazilian soybeans as South American prices eased on expectations of a resumption of U.S. sales to the world’s largest soybean importer.

Brazilian soybeans for December shipment are quoted at a premium of $2.25 to $2.30 over the January Chicago contract SF26, compared with $2.40 a bushel being offered for U.S. beans shipped from the U.S. Gulf Coast, traders said.

Before last week’s meeting, state trader COFCO made China’s first purchases from this year’s U.S. harvest, an act analysts saw as a goodwill gesture.

In 2024, China bought roughly 20% of its soybeans from the United States, down from 41% in 2016, the year before Trump’s first presidential term, customs data showed.

This year, China has largely shunned U.S. crops from the autumn harvest due to high tariffs, costing American farmers billions of dollars in lost exports.

In a meeting with a U.S. agricultural trade delegation on Tuesday, China’s senior trade negotiator Li Chenggang attributed “fluctuations” in agricultural trade between the two countries to U.S. tariffs, a summary of the meeting issued by China’s commerce ministry showed.

China and the United States are “important agricultural trade partners”, Li said, adding that he hoped Washington could work with Beijing to create favourable conditions for cooperation.

China’s cabinet said it would also suspend for one year the 24% additional tariffs it imposed on U.S. goods in April.

China will also remove or suspend for a year some non-tariff retaliatory measures, including export control measures announced in March and April against some U.S. entities, the commerce ministry said on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Joe Cash, Ethan Wang and Ella Cao in Beijing, and Naveen Thukral in Singapore; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Christopher Cushing and Clarence Fernandez)

China Soybean Trade Deal 'A Net Positive' For U.S. Farmers

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 20:03:22 GMT

The White House’s announcement that China is committed to buying 12 million metric tons (mmt) of soybeans in the current year and 25 mmt in each of the next three years was met with varying degrees of relief and reservation on Thursday.

“We have a deal that will provide at least some stability, as long as China lives up to it, says Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist for StoneX Group.

He believes the deal will be particularly helpful to the U.S. soybean industry in the near-term.

“For one thing, because we’ve been building up our domestic infrastructure for biofuel production, our domestic demand base is much stronger now. So even stabilizing the business with China is a real positive,” Suderman told AgriTalk Host Chip Flory on Thursday morning.

Soybean markets were slightly higher on Thursday but well off highs after the announcement of the trade deal with China overnight.

Final Details Are Not Yet Fully Defined
The purchase of U.S. soybeans by China raises questions that aren’t yet fully answered.

For one, is the 12 mmt purchase entirely new business for 2025, or does the purchase take into consideration the 5.9 mmt China had already purchased earlier this year?

Suderman describes the distinction as carrying significant market implications.

If it’s 12 mmt of new business for this calendar year, that would help hit USDA’s target and help finish the year with ending stocks near 300 million bushels. “That isn’t burdensome by any means. It isn’t tight, but it does help support prices in the recent trading range,” Suderman notes.

USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden told Flory that the 12 mmt represents all new business for the 2025-26 marketing year. Vaden emphasizes that the numbers agreed to between the two trade partners for 2025 and the next three years represent minimum purchase amounts.

“This is a floor, not a ceiling,” Vaden says. “We see, particularly looking toward next year, the 25 mmt number as a number to build on. But at a minimum, the Chinese have agreed to purchase 25 mmt of our soybeans, and that is more than they purchased in 2024. It is more than they purchased in 2023 and represents a solid baseline of demand for our farmers to sell to China.”

Flory shared some additional details he learned about what farmers could expect yet this year.

“Sources tell me Chinese buyers are asking for Gulf bids on soybeans to ship in December of this year,” Flory says. “That’s a good thing. What we still don’t know is how much of the ’12 million tons this year’ still need to be purchased. The cash market will tell us that — watch bids on the Mississippi River and rails to the PNW. Bean basis should firm and barge rates are already starting to show more activity.”

As for the 25 mmt purchase China has signed on for each of the next three years, Suderman believes delivery will primarily take place during the September to January time frame.

“But if any of that gets pulled forward into the current marketing year that would start tightening things up, maybe give us some more rally opportunities, particularly if there are some weather scares mixed in either in Brazil or the United States,” he says.

Suderman digs into the U.S.-China trade deal in detail on AgriTalk, here:

A Glass Half Full or Half Empty?
Without all the details of the trade deal, Suderman offers what insights he does have from a “glass half empty or half full” perspective.

From a glass half empty perspective, he says the current figure of 12 mmt in calendar year 2025 is a disappointment compared with historical sales to China of 30 mmt to 35 mmt annually. The 25 mmt purchase for each of the next three years only brings sales to China back to levels seen two years ago, not the peak.

However, a glass half full view of the situation sheds a positive light on the U.S.'s increased domestic demand.

“We built up our domestic demand so much that we don’t need as much from China in order to consume what we produce and give us that demand base,” Suderman explains.

Either way, the deal is a net positive, Suderman says. He calculates the deal would total 87 mmt over four years, representing approximately 75 mmt more than what would have been achieved without it, especially considering China’s long-term strategy to reduce reliance on U.S. food commodity imports.

“The Trump administration probably sped that process up a bit, but that’s the direction we were moving in,” Suderman says. “I believe once Trump is out of office, their intention is fully to cut off the United States. But that does give us time now to build up that domestic demand base and be able to handle that.”

Market Implications and Political Undercurrents
The deal is expected to bring some supply uncertainty back into the equation due to increased demand, potentially stopping the shrink in the U.S. to China bean market, Flory says.

Suderman believes the trade deal could justify a shift of several million acres from corn to soybeans in the coming year, which would help farmers with their rotation plans and possibly help them address high input costs.

Regarding China’s adherence to the trade deal, Suderman offered a unique perspective on China’s motivation. He suggests President Xi Jinping’s decision to make a deal might stem from a perceived weakness in his power base during China’s recent Fourth Plenum meeting. The event, involving 270 top Communist Party officials, is a time when leadership changes and positions are assessed.

“People get demoted from positions or removed from office, new people put into positions, etc., and if President Xi thought that his support base was strong, I think he would have held up strong against Trump,” Suderman says.

His perspective is that Xi felt some weakness in his power base and was quick to make a deal with the Trump administration to calm the international waters in order to focus on his support base at home. That could mean good news for the U.S. and offer a potential layer of confidence that the latest trade agreement with the China might be honored.

Your next read: China to Buy 12 Million Metric Tons of Soybeans This Season, Bessent Says

China to Buy 12 Million Metric Tons of Soybeans This Season, Bessent Says

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 12:38:21 GMT

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that China has agreed to buy 12 million metric tons of American soybeans during the current season through January and has committed to buying 25 million tons annually for the next three years as part of a larger trade agreement with Beijing.

Bessent said other countries in Southeast Asia have agreed to buy another 19 million tons of U.S. soybeans, but did not specify a timeframe for those purchases.

“So our great soybean farmers, who the Chinese used as political pawns - that’s off the table, and they should prosper in the years to come,” Bessent told Fox Business Network.

LETS GOOO!!! Soybeans! Sorghum! 🇺🇸🚜 BIG news out of President Trump’s historic meeting with President Xi!

More details coming soon. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT!!! pic.twitter.com/5hHpKbX70F
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) October 30, 2025

Soy bean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade were about 1% higher in early U.S. trading on Thursday after Bessent’s interview with “Mornings with Maria.”

In 2024, the U.S. exported nearly 27 million metric tons of soybeans to China.

Trump wrote in a social media post overnight following his meeting with Xi in South Korea that the Chinese leader had authorized China to begin the purchase of massive amounts of soybeans, sorghum and other farm products.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins applauded Trump’s comments on soybeans and sorghum in a post on X.

(Reporting by David Lawder, Andrea Shalal, Daniel Burns, Leah Douglas and Maiya KeidanEditing by Tomasz Janowski and Doina Chiacu)

China Buys US Soybean Cargoes Ahead of Trump-Xi Meet, Sources Say

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 13:38:55 GMT

China’s state-owned COFCO bought three U.S. soybean cargoes, two trade sources said, the country’s first purchases from this year’s U.S. harvest, shortly before a summit of leaders Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

As the two nations battle over trade tariffs, the lack of Chinese buying has cost U.S. farmers billions of dollars in lost sales, after they largely supported Trump in his campaigns for president.

Today’s purchase by China of multiple ships of American soybeans signals @POTUS’ strong dealmaking and a positive step forward for our farmers.

This purchase, coming directly ahead of the Trump-Xi talks, shows that America means business and that we will restore balance, give…
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) October 29, 2025

Although COFCO’s deal for December-January shipment of about 180,000 metric tons of soybeans was China’s first such buy in months, traders do not expect a significant resumption in demand for U.S. cargoes after recent large South American purchases.

COFCO did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

“COFCO has proceeded to purchase U.S. beans even before the two leaders have reached a trade agreement,” said a trader at an international trading company that supplies Chinese crushers.

“The volumes booked by COFCO are not that large, three cargoes for now.”

Benchmark Chicago soybean futures prices Sv1 jumped this week to their highest in 15 months, rebounding from recent five-year lows on hopes for a U.S.-China trade deal.

The prime U.S. soybean export season normally runs from October through January, but China has shunned soybeans from the autumn U.S. harvest this year, amid protracted trade friction with Washington, turning instead to South American suppliers.

Reuters was the first to report China’s purchase of three cargoes.

Lackluster Demand

China, which takes more than 60% of world soybean imports, has nearly completed booking cargoes from Brazil and Argentina through November, with limited purchases expected for December and January ahead of the Brazilian harvest.

“U.S. suppliers have missed out on most of oilseed crushing business,” said a second oilseed trader, who expected China to need about 5 million tons of shipments in December and January, for which market conditions favour Brazil.

U.S. soybeans, which traded at a steep discount to Brazilian cargoes in recent weeks due to subdued Chinese demand, have strengthened this week and are now priced at parity at about $2.45 per bushel above Chicago futures, traders said.

Private Chinese buyers tend to prefer Brazilian soybeans for their higher protein content, which typically brings a premium over U.S. soybeans, said Jeffrey Xu, general manager of Shanghai-based OCI, a soybean consultant and two other traders.

Still, China could take about 8 million tons of U.S. soybeans for its strategic reserves in the period from December to May, traders said, buying through state-owned enterprises such as Sinograin, which would be worth roughly $4 billion.

(Reporting by Ella Cao and Naveen Thukral; Additional reporting by Karl Plume in Chicago; Editing by Tony Munroe and Clarence Fernandez)

Potential China Deal, New Trade Pacts Brighten U.S. Soybean Outlook

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:33:28 GMT

Comments by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday indicate China will come to the meeting with President Trump on Thursday ready to strike a deal and make “substantial purchases” of U.S. soybeans.

“Soybean farmers are going to be extremely happy with this deal for this year and for the coming years,” Bessent said yesterday on the CBS public affairs show, Face The Nation.

American Soybean Association (ASA) President Caleb Ragland responded to Bessent’s comments in a statement that, “signals of purchase commitments are a positive step” and soybean producers are “hopeful they result in a trade deal that delivers results.”

SOYBEANS! Big news this morning by our incredible @SecScottBessent and our entire team.

China’s commitment to make substantial purchases of US soybeans brings the market BACK into balance and secures years of prosperity for American producers. More good news coming shortly. https://t.co/eIjOMa0sBD
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) October 26, 2025

Purdue Ag Economist Michael Langemeier says he believes a trade agreement with China can be reached.

“It makes sense to me, because we are such a big player, that we still have a place at the table in terms of selling soybeans to China, because [the Chinese] don’t want to completely rely on one country,” Langemeier says.

Jerry Gulke tells Farm Journal he thinks China needs U.S. soybeans to bridge a gap that will occur between the time the U.S. harvest ends and Brazil’s harvest starts.

“There’s some talk that they need about 10 million metric tons (MMT). That’s about 300 million bushels. And that’s about the deficit that would really help us,” says Gulke, president of the Gulke Group.

While Langemeier believes a trade deal can be reached, he doesn’t think the scope of the trade agreements U.S. has had with China will go back to previous levels. He anticipates Brazil will continue to capture a large percentage of China’s soybean business.

USDA reports Brazil produced a record soybean crop in 2025 of 169 MMT.

The increasing scope of the South American crop is one reason why Langemeier emphasizes the need to continue increasing domestic demand for U.S. soybeans.

“It’s a slow process, and it can’t absorb billions of bushels, but it can help long-term support a large acreage of soybeans in the U.S.,” he says.

Additional Trade Agreements In The Works
On Sunday, ASA announced the U.S. signed two trade deals with Malaysia and Cambodia as well as a framework for reciprocal trade with Vietnam and Thailand.

As part of these announcements, the White House has noted multiple provisions favorable to U.S. soybean exports, including:

The elimination or reduction of tariff barriers for U.S. agricultural products into all four countries
A commitment from Thailand to purchase U.S. soybean meal, among other U.S. feed commodities, on a per annum basis totaling $2.6 billion
The elimination or reduction of major non-tariff barriers in each country, including favorable language on biotechnology regulations, sanitary and phytosanitary provisions (SPS), and other non-tariff barriers.

Farmers Face Major Storage, Selling Decisions
While U.S. farmers are finishing up the 2025 harvest, most are trying to decide how much and where to store the crop until prices show some improvement.

Langemeier said there will be a need for farmers to make some sales this fall to meet cash flow demand. They’ll then store whatever they can until at least the first of the year – though that decision could change quickly, if a trade deal with China is struck.

“Certainly, storing a part of that [soybean] crop if you can afford to do until till we have a little bit more information on where prices are going to settle for the 2025 crop, would be a prudent strategy,” he says.

If no deal is struck with China, or it’s small, he encourages farmers to not hang onto the crop too long.

“My caveat there is, if things don’t look a little bit better by April and May be ready to sell them,” he says.

The Outlook For 2026 Acreage
Langemeier says there are few to no new production options for row crop farmers in the Midwest to embrace for next year.

“So, when push comes to shove with the plantings in 2026 you’re still looking at about 180 million acres of corn and soybeans,” he anticipates.

If the export outlook for soybeans doesn’t improve, more acres will go to corn because demand is strong despite low prices.

“Corn is firing on all cylinders with good demand from ethanol, good demand from the feed industry, and good demand from exports,” he says.

China's Trade War Playbook Keeps U.S. Soybeans Sidelined

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 18:34:26 GMT

As combines roll across soybean fields at the start of harvest, exports typically pick up. Vessels ladened with the U.S. oilseed usually begin heading to China, with the bulk of shipments made between September and January.

That’s not shaping up to be the case this year.

Not a single order for the U.S. soybean crop was placed by China at the start of harvest in September.

At about the same time, Brazil set a record for shipments to China – with sales of 2.474 billion bushels of soybeans – from January through August 2025, reports Michael Langemeier, Purdue University ag economist.

Brazil soybeans have accounted for approximately 93% of China’s total soybean imports this year, to date, according to Brazil’s National Association of Grain Exporters.

‘A More Reliable Source For Soybeans’
Langemeier expects Brazil to continue supplying the majority of China’s import needs for soybeans, a transition he says has been underway since the last round of U.S.-China trade tensions in 2017-18.

“Brazil has become a more reliable source for soybeans, if you will, than the U.S.,” Langemeier says.

He does anticipate U.S. soybean exports to China will resume eventually but not at previous levels.

“I don’t believe it’s going to go to zero – people ask me that all the time – but it’s going to be something less than what it was prior to 2025,” he says.

A large percentage of U.S. ag economists agree with Langemeier. In the latest Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor, when they were asked, ‘Do you believe U.S. agricultural exports to China will return to pre-trade war levels (e.g. 2017) in the future,’ 88% of economists responded no. Learn more here: Ag Economists Warn of Lingering Farm Economic Strain: ’Not the 1980s, But Close’

The ability of Brazil to capture more of China’s soybean business and improve its government policies pertaining to agriculture, in general, frustrates Steele, N.D., farmer Chase Dewitz.

“There’s so much progress going on there in agriculture in Brazil, outside of all the market share they’ve taken from us,” says Dewitz, referencing the country’s ethanol industry. “And here we just sit. We just keep getting backed into a corner here.”

China Prioritizes Its Own National Interests
Sandro Steinbach says China’s refusal to buy U.S. soybeans this fall is less about economics and more about politics.

“China is making a calculated move to limit its dependence on the United States,” says Steinbach, associate professor and director of the Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies at North Dakota State University.

“If Chinese leaders see Washington as a strategic threat, they have the resources to pay a little more for Brazilian soybeans or draw down state reserves,” he contends. “It’s about control and national leverage, not about getting the cheapest beans.”

Steinbach adds, in an effort to not be overly reliant on either Brazil or U.S., Beijing is also working to reduce its overall need for imported soybeans through domestic feed policy changes.

“Our latest analysis shows Chinese feed mills are exploring ways to lower the share of soybean meal in livestock rations, with limited pilot programs already underway in several provinces,” he says. “If those efforts expand, even small cuts in feeding intensity could trim import needs, but they come at a cost. Lower-protein rations reduce feed efficiency and could hurt China’s livestock productivity over time.”

Faith Parum, American Farm Bureau Federation economist, points out that the ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China aren’t limited to soybeans. She says China has not “purchased any U.S. corn, wheat or sorghum this year, and pork and cotton exports continue only at reduced levels.”

USDA projects that U.S. agricultural exports to China will total $17 billion in 2025, down 30% from 2024 and more than 50% from 2022. In 2026, exports to China are expected to fall to just $9 billion, the lowest level since the 2018 trade war, Parum adds.

Trade Talks Next Week Offer Hope
Jacquie Holland, American Soybean Association economist, says upcoming meetings between President Trump and China’s Xi Jinping at next week’s APEC summit in South Korea offer farmers some encouragement that trade between the two countries will resume soon.

“If we see a de-escalation of tariffs, then China will have financial incentive to buy cheap U.S. soybeans,” Holland says.

She adds that if Brazil farmers have any delays harvesting their crop early in 2026, the Chinese could face a potential supply crunch and move to source U.S. soybeans to bridge the gap.

“But our research suggests those volumes could be minimal, based on the high volume of South American purchases China has made so far in 2025, the capacity of their state reserves, the timing of China’s hog production cycles and negative Chinese crush margins right now,” Holland says.

Farmers across Brazil have begun planting the 2025/26 crop season, with expectations for another record in corn and soybean acreage, report Purdue Ag Economists Langemeier and Joana Colussi.

“In its preliminary estimate released on October 14, the National Supply Company (Conab) projected that Brazil’s soybean acreage will increase by 3.5%, reaching 121 million acres – the largest area on record. For comparison, U.S. farmers planted 81 million acres of soybeans in the current crop season,” Langemeier and Colussi write here .

If Trade Doesn’t Resume Soon, What Then?
Unfortunately, there is no one country or market that can absorb China’s lost U.S. soybean purchases.

“There are certainly opportunities for some market expansion, as evidenced by Japan’s sentiments to increase trade on Wednesday, but the biggest constraint is that demand outside of China is limited in the short-run,” Holland says. “Long-term, we are hoping to develop these markets, but that takes time and doesn’t provide immediate relief to U.S. farmers now.”

Looking ahead to next spring, farmers are likely to plant another huge corn crop if a trade agreement isn’t reached and soybean prices remain in the basement, Langemeier anticipates.

“In that scenario, if we have two big years of corn production back-to-back, you’re going to be looking at some very sick corn prices in the fall of 2026,” he says. “That’s a big concern. That worries me.”

Holland adds there are other factors to consider, as well. She believes soybean acreage next spring will also depend on usage factors like how quickly EPA finalizes 2026 and 2027 renewable volume obligations for biofuel blendings and how fast the U.S. can expand domestic livestock consumption and export sales for soymeal.

“With all of that uncertainty and sticky input prices, I wouldn’t blame farmers for picking lower risk acreage options next spring, and I’m guessing 2026 acreage allocations are going to rightly reflect that level of risk aversion,” she says.

Holland discusses the soybean trade outlook with China in detail with Chip Flory, host of AgriTalk, here:

Breeding for New Markets: How University of Minnesota is Working to Boost the Oil Content in Soybeans

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 13:37:12 GMT

At the University of Minnesota, soybean breeders are looking far beyond the next harvest; they’re developing varieties that can withstand pests, push yields higher and meet new demands from renewable fuels. That also means breeding soybeans to contain higher oil content that traditional varieties today, an innovation that could cater to the possible new demand.

Aaron Lorenz, a professor of agronomy and plant genetics, has spent the past decade leading efforts to ensure farmers have tools that work today and decades down the road. Standing in a research plot near St. Paul, he gestures toward rows of soybeans that tell the story of decades of progress.

“In the front we have varieties released in the 1940s and 1950s,” Lorenz explains. “You can see that they’re falling down. They don’t have very many pods on them. They’re very tall and lanky — not very good agronomically.”

Those early varieties might have been cutting-edge at the time, but they pale in comparison to today’s resilient, high-yielding soybeans.

“On average, breeders have increased yield by about a half a bushel per year,” Lorenz says. “Right now, the varieties farmers are growing yield about two and a half times more than what their predecessors grew back in the 1940s and 1950s. On-farm yield has increased two-and-a-half to three times — and a big chunk of that has been due to breeding better varieties. It’s been a long, continual investment. Incremental, but over time it adds up to something much better.”

Battling a Hidden Threat: Soybean Cyst Nematode

Yield isn’t the only focus. Lorenz and his team are also taking on one of the most persistent, and invisible, enemies of soybean farmers: the soybean cyst nematode (SCN).

“Soybean cyst nematode is No. 1,” Lorenz says. “The main concern is that the current resistance most Minnesota farmers use comes from one single source that researchers discovered 40 or 50 years ago. It’s been used so long and so often that there’s now resistance breakdown occurring on the landscape. The nematodes are evolving to overcome our current source of resistance.”

That means farmers who believe they’re protected might not actually be, and once they discover thee issue, it’s often too late.

“A farmer may plant a resistant variety, thinking they have protection,” Lorenz explains, “but if the nematode population in their field has changed and overcome that resistance, they may be losing yield and not even know it. That’s why it’s good to get a soil test and rotate your sources of resistance.”

Lorenz says his breeding program is working to stay ahead of that curve, developing new varieties before the old ones lose their power.

“We’re working with projects with Minnesota Soybean and the United Soybean Board,” he says. “We’re not just discovering new sources of resistance; we’re breeding with different ones. We know which genes have good resistance for new SCN populations, and we’re getting those into elite varieties that farmers may want to grow.”

Some of those experimental lines are already showing promise.

“We’ve had some varieties that have done quite well,” Lorenz says. “They’re not quite ready for farmers to use right now, but we’re hopeful. Getting them into better varieties will eventually give us strong performers in the future.”

Breeding for New Markets: Renewable Diesel and High-Oil Soybeans

Beyond yield and pest resistance, Lorenz’s team is also thinking about how soybeans will fit into the future of energy. With renewable diesel demand growing, farmers are being asked to produce crops with higher oil content.

“We understand there’s a lot of potential future demand for renewable diesel, which is going to require a lot more oil,” Lorenz says. “We’d like to increase the oil content in soybeans, from around 22% to maybe closer to 30%, to make it a higher-oil crop and more valuable from that standpoint.”

That work started when the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association approached the university with a challenge: Breed soybeans that can meet the renewable fuel industry’s needs.

“We work very closely with those grower groups to identify target traits we should be working on,” Lorenz explains. “They have their ears closer to the ground. They can see what the industry needs better than we can and help direct our research. It’s been a very fruitful collaboration.”

He says it’s also possible soybeans looks more like canola, as a way to capture more of the oil content from every plant. But that research is just a hint of what may be to come.

Looking Ahead

From fields filled with the tall, spindly soybeans of the 1940s to test plots growing varieties rich in oil and nematode resistance, the University of Minnesota’s breeding program reflects decades of continuous innovation.

Each seed planted represents a future crop, and a future challenge, already being met by researchers like Lorenz and his team.

“As long as we continue the incremental progress of selecting and developing better varieties,” Lorenz says, “over the long term we’ll always have something that’s a lot better.”