In 2011, University of Kentucky set up 3 commercial-scale, on-farm fungicide tests in fields of yellow and white corn in West Kentucky. A single fungicide application resulted in 20+ bushel yield increases in 2 of the 3 tests.

Dec. 30, 2013 There is widespread concern about potential sulfur (S) deficiencies in corn and soybeans in the North Central region. Sulfur is relatively immobile within the plant, so symptoms usually appear in the new growth. Atmospheric deposition used to supply a considerable amount of plant available S (about 8 to 15 pounds per acre annually), but with the implementation of the Clean Air Act, this amount has significantly decreased.

Planting soybean cyst nematode (SCN) varieties is one of the most effective tactics for managing the most important pathogen of soybeans. However, SCN-resistant varieties are not all created equal. You should consider the following characteristics when selecting SCN resistant varieties for your fields:

Soybean producers should utilize several sources of information when selecting soybean cyst nematode (SCN)-resistant varieties. The article What To Consider When Selecting SCN-Resistant Varieties shares the four characteristics producers should keep in mind when choosing varieties with SCN resistance.

About 30% of the major global cereal crops rice, wheat and corn may have reached their maximum possible yields in farmers' fields, according to UNL research. These findings raise concerns about efforts to increase food production to meet growing global populations.

Advanced production techniques, informed growing practices and improved seed varieties helped corn growers achieve high yields in the National Corn Growers Association 2013 National Corn Yield Contest. Entrants continued to far surpass the national average corn yield, setting a contest record with a new all-time high yield of 454 bushels per acre.

Unlike corn, wheat and most other row crops grown in North America, soybean is able to obtain its own nitrogen (N) through the process of N fixation. N fixation is achieved through an intricate biological relationship between soybean and a particular species of soil bacteria, Bradyrhizobium japonicum. The bacteria obtain sugars from soybean to use as their energy source, and soybean obtains N from the bacteria.

There were multiple reports of Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) in soybeans this past year. The cooler, wet season helped promote the disease in susceptible varieties, but the presence of soybean cyst nematode (SCN) can also increase the effect of SDS.

In the chemical age of agriculture that began in the 1960s, potassium chloride (KCl), the common salt often referred to as potash, is widely used as a major fertilizer in the Corn Belt without regard to the huge soil reserves that were once recognized for their fundamental importance to soil fertility.

For wheat growers, it's a truism: Plant varieties that are resistant to prevalent diseases. But what if the wheat plant has to pay a price for resistance, possibly reducing its yield? Is the resistance worth it?