February 1, 2009
Cover Story
Acre-Stretching
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Dave Howe
In a way, Ron Sladky and Evan Brandes some of their acres. These Nebraska farmers do it by relay cropping - harvesting three crops every two years, with... More
Features
Precision Decisions
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Susan Winsor
Matt Mayer has a brain trust and he uses it to guide important decisions for the 7,000 acres he manages. He calls it his personal network, and it's comprised... More
Winning Strategies
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Larry Stalcup
Scott Arthur liked what he saw during the spring and summer when soybean prices took off and opened the door for strong cash and futures sales in the... More
Green Stem Still a Mystery
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Liz Morrison
There's a soybean disorder makes fuel vamoose. Why, Green Stem's a bit like the Grinch from Doc Seuss! Ripe pods on green stems in the combining season?... More
Planting ABCS: April Beans, Check
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Karen Bernick
It used to be that if Bruce Wessling and his dad Roger finished planting corn in April, they parked their planters until May 1, the date conventional... More
Welcome, Western Bean Cutworm
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Mark Moore
When western bean cutworm (WBC) moths first started showing up in Wisconsin traps in 2004, it was a novelty. The pest had been known to creep into an... More
So What's Zein?
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Loretta Sorensen
Ethanol plants could begin seeing demand for zein (pronounced ZEE-in), one of ethanol's byproducts, coming from new market areas in the months ahead.... More
Sticklers on Stewardship
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Greg Lamp
Plain and simple, conservation is a way of life for most farmers that means heartfelt attention to land, water and wildlife resources. This year's outstanding... More
Does Sulfur Pay?
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Liz Morrison
There's less brimstone dropping from American skies. Sulfur dioxide emissions - think acid rain - have declined sharply in the last three decades, so... More
What is Cation Exchange Capacity?
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By George Rehm
Growers and ag professionals frequently ask questions about interpreting the results of soil sample analysis, and about the importance of the measurement... More
Be a Better Boss
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Karen Bernick
Chances are you got into production agriculture because you love growing crops and excel at making marketing and finance decisions. An opportunity to... More
Shop-Built for Strip-Till
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By John Russnogle
No one can say Tim Renger played favorites when he built a 13-row strip-till machine with help from his father Walter. The Bancroft, IA, farmer pulled... More
Spread Risk Seasonally
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Larry Stalcup
Jeff Todd wastes little time in making corn or soybean sales - all through the year. His spread sales, up to a dozen or more separate marketing moves,... More
News Uses 2009
Support for Soy Soars
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM
There is a broad base of support for soy products, according to an exclusive online survey. Almost 79% of the respondents said they have purchased soy-based... More
Export Potential
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM
New uses and new markets for soy exist around the world, and much of the future potential for the little beige bean exists in exports. In 2008, that potential... More
The 'Green' Bean
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM
Soy-based products are biodegradable, and they have fewer harmful emissions or petroleum-based chemicals. These are just a few of a long list of attributes... More
Fun & Functional
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM
Creativity is a key ingredient in developing new soy-based products. To help spur some of those creative ideas for fun and functional products, the Indiana... More
Biodiesel Buses and Beyond
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM
A unique celebration was held in the Medford (NJ) Town- ship school district last October. The district was recognized for its 10th anniversary of using... More
My View
Agile Marketers Manage Risk
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Grep Lamp Editor glamp@csdigest.com
With the wild price swings farmers had last year, having a marketing plan and sticking to it this year is your best line of defense. In fact, heeding... More
News
VeraSun to Auction 7 Plants
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM
According to a motion approved by a U.S. Bankruptcy court, VeraSun Energy will accept bids between March 16 and 31 for seven former U.S. BioEnergy plants... More
Generational Land Turnover Ahead
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM
In a recent Iowa State University study of farmland ownership, economist Mike Duffy lists several key trends: Advancing age of owners. In 2007, more than... More
Broadband Expands
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM
A $267 million USDA rural development loan that will provide broadband service to 518 rural communities has been finalized. Satellite services will make... More
Money Available for Conservation Projects
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM
Financial assistance is available through the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program for farmers who promote ground and surface water conservation and... More
Learn About ACRE Program
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM
Before sign-up arrives this spring, check into the ACRE program, say Extension economists. Payments are crop-specific and the whole farm must be enrolled... More
New Soybean Organization Forms
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM
With a mission of representing the voice of U.S. soybean farmers through advocacy and policy, the new U.S. Soybean Federation (USSF) was announced by... More
Expect Drop in Diesel Prices
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM
Kansas State Economist Kevin Dhuyvetter tracks the NYMEX crude oil market, which determines diesel prices. He says March prices should be 48% less than... More
More Million-Dollar Farms
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM
Million-dollar farms - those with annual sales of at least $1 million - accounted for about half of U.S. farm sales in 2002, up from a fourth in 1982... More
Brazil
Making Do With Less
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By James Thompson
In terms of planted area, Brazil's soybean crop got off relatively lightly in the credit collapse that followed October's bailout announcements. Farmers... More
Products
Products
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM
PLANTER The Yield-Pro YP40 series planter is now available with the choice of three openers and seven row-spacing options. Bulk hoppers are interchangeable... More
Profits
2009 Predictions
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Dave Kohl
Let's go out on a limb and make some predictions for 2009 - for both the agricultural and general economy. We will mix in some trends and general observations,... More
Leasing Options
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Moe Russell
Riskwise decisions really paid off in generating and preserving wealth in 2008. They'll be even more important in 2009 as worldwide liquidity issues continue... More
Welcome to Class
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Ed Usset
For the first time in eight years, I teach a course called Futures and Options Markets at the University of Minnesota. Futures markets are at the center... More
A Wild Year Ahead
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Richard Brock
Very few people would've ever thought that 2008 would end in the fashion it did. After going to all-time new highs in grain prices in June, corn prices... More
Articles
Bottom Line Bound
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Mark Moore
David Padley has boosted his farm's profitability by 10%. The Lodi, WI, grower credits much of his gain lessons learned from the Wisconsin Profits through... More
Weeding Through Weed Control
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Mark Moore
Ted Bay has had a rough couple of years battling weeds in soybeans. Delayed planting has given weeds a leg-up early on, and he's also battled weather-induced... More
In Need of Nodes?
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Larry Stalcup
Is there enough Rhizobium in the soil to make a good soybean crop in many southern growing areas? No, says Brewer Blessitt, a Mississippi Delta soybean... More
Letters
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM
IS LESS REALLY MORE? I want to applaud you on your article (Less is More, December issue, http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/corn/less_more_0101/) - Mike... More
Data Discrepancy
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Lynn Grooms
In foliar fungicide trials, why is there sometimes a discrepancy between the soybean yields that company researchers observe and the ones that university... More
Now All No-Till
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Meggie Foster
Politicians and green gurus preach how conservation is the right thing to do for the environment. But for most farmers, a long-term conservation system... More
Conventional Thinking
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Karen Ott Mayer
It's late September and Mike Wagner stands in his field of Group III soybeans, just ready to harvest after being delayed by heavy August rains. This has... More
Targeting Teens
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Barb Baylor Anderson
Illinois soybean farmers advocating healthy food choices with teens may seem like a strange partnership at first. But in reality, efforts to promote a... More
Making Do With Less
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Larry Stalcup
Running a tractor, sprayer or combine all day doesn't keep Dan Huebner from pushing himself a lot further - on foot, by bike and in the water. The Hershey,... More
E-Learning for Farm Families
Feb 1, 2009 12:00 PM | By Denny Eilers
You don't have to live next door to a university to get the information you need for a more productive, enjoyable life in the country. All it takes is... More
(New Course)
