Illinois Soybean Research Articles

2016 Gross Revenue and Income Projections for Corn and Soybeans in Central Illinois

2016 Gross Revenue and Income Projections for Corn and Soybeans in Central Illinois

Corn and Soybean Acres in Illinois

In recent years, corn has been less profitable than soybeans in Illinois. Since crop profitability likely has an impact on acreage changes over time, a shift to soybeans may be expected. In this article, trends in corn and soybean acres in Illinois are examined. Overall, total acres in corn and soybeans have been relatively stable in Illinois since 2000. While the total has been stable, shifts between corn and soybeans have occurred. Corn acres increased and soybean acres decreased in the early to mid-2000s. In recent years, corn acres have declined, and soybean acres have increased.

Collaboration benefits Illinois soybean farmers and CCAs

Crops & SoilsVolume 49, Issue 3 p. 8-9 Department Collaboration benefits Illinois soybean farmers and CCAs The Illinois Soybean Association, The Illinois Soybean AssociationSearch for more papers by this author The Illinois Soybean Association, The Illinois Soybean AssociationSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 August 2016 https://doi.org/10.2134/cs2016.49.0302Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume49, Issue3May‐June 2016Pages 8-9 RelatedInformation

Cost to Produce Corn and Soybeans in Illinois--2015

In 2015, the total of all economic costs per acre for growing corn in Illinois averaged $921 in the northern section, $896 in the central section for farmland with “high” soil ratings, $886 in the central section for farmland with “low” soil ratings, and $851 in the southern section. Soybean costs per acre were $656, $668, $629 and $631, respectively (see Table 1). Costs were lower in southern Illinois primarily because of lower land costs. The total of all economic costs per bushel in the different sections of the state ranged from $4.48 to $5.22 for corn and from $10.12 to $12.13 for soybeans. Variations in this cost were related to weather, yields, and land quality.

Soil nutrient removal by four potential bioenergy crops: Zea mays, Panicum virgatum, Miscanthus × giganteus, and prairie

Replacing annual row crops with perennial grasses for bioenergy represents a landscape-level change in species composition, with the potential to impact annual soil nutrient removal on a regional scale. In this study we measured the concentration of ten essential nutrients in harvested material from three potential perennial bioenergy crops: Panicum virgatum L., Miscanthus×giganteus, and a reestablished prairie to determine annual soil nutrient removals. We compared perennial bioenergy crops to nutrient removals by annual cropping systems of Zea mays L. (maize) and Glycine max L. (soybean) in Illinois. Crops were grown under management practices typical for the Midwest, US. In addition, we examined geographic variation in nutrient removal of M.×giganteus at four US locations. Total removal of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Na, and Zn was significantly greater in maize than in any of the perennials. Removal of N, P, and K in M.×giganteus was 3.7, 1.8, and 1.8% of the removal in maize, and 49.0, 17.4, and 31.9% of the removal in soybean respectively. At sites in Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, and New Jersey we found differences in N and K removal by M.×giganteus that corresponded with differences in biomass. There was no effect of fertilization on M.×giganteus biomass, but removal of N, S, and Mg increased and P removal decreased with increasing rates of urea fertilization. Cultivation of M.×giganteus and switchgrass on land formerly used for row crops may reduce the need for nutrient additions and potential losses of nutrients to groundwater and the atmosphere.

Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) Damage Niche in Illinois Soybean Is Seed Limited

Palmer amaranth, a dioecious summer annual forb, originating in Sonoran desert washes, compromises crop yields in much of the southern United States and its range is expanding northward. Appropriate tactics for managing this weed proactively in the Upper Midwest will depend on characterizing its damage niche, the geographic range in which it can reduce crop yields. We implemented a common garden study in 2011 and 2012, planting eight accessions of Palmer amaranth from the southern and midwestern United States, into soybean crops in southern, central, and northern Illinois, at a population density of 8 plants m−2with a biocontainment protocol. Once Palmer amaranth plants initiated flowering, they were removed and burned. Weed survival, flowering, and weed biomass were measured, in addition to soybean yield and weather data. Analyses indicated that Palmer amaranth's damage niche in Illinois soybean was independent of weed genotype or maternal environment. Despite competing only briefly, Palmer amaranth reduced soybean yields in all site–years, indicating its damage niche in Illinois, and much of the Midwest, is limited primarily by seed immigration rate. These results highlight the urgent need for weed managers to learn Palmer amaranth identification, prevent seed introduction, and maintain a policy of zero seed return.

Cost to Produce Corn and Soybeans in Illinois - 2014

In 2014, the total of all economic costs per acre for growing corn in Illinois averaged $1,045 in the northern section, $1,002 in the central section for farmland with “high” soil ratings, $955 in the central section for farmland with “low” soil ratings, and $895 in the southern section. Soybean costs per acre were $745, $758, $685 and $664, respectively (see Table 1). Costs were lower in southern Illinois primarily because of lower land costs. The total of all economic costs per bushel in the different sections of the state ranged from $4.34 to $5.10 for corn and from $11.23 to $12.21 for soybeans. Variations in this cost were related to weather, yields, and land quality.

Heat waves imposed during early pod development in soybean (Glycine max) cause significant yield loss despite a rapid recovery from oxidative stress.

Heat waves already have a large impact on crops and are predicted to become more intense and more frequent in the future. In this study, heat waves were imposed on soybean using infrared heating technology in a fully open-air field experiment. Five separate heat waves were applied to field-grown soybean (Glycine max) in central Illinois, three in 2010 and two in 2011. Thirty years of historical weather data from Illinois were analyzed to determine the length and intensity of a regionally realistic heat wave resulting in experimental heat wave treatments during which day and night canopy temperatures were elevated 6 °C above ambient for 3 days. Heat waves were applied during early or late reproductive stages to determine whether and when heat waves had an impact on carbon metabolism and seed yield. By the third day of each heat wave, net photosynthesis (A), specific leaf weight (SLW), and leaf total nonstructural carbohydrate concentration (TNC) were decreased, while leaf oxidative stress was increased. However, A, SLW, TNC, and measures of oxidative stress were no different than the control ca. 12 h after the heat waves ended, indicating rapid physiological recovery from the high-temperature stress. That end of season seed yield was reduced (~10%) only when heat waves were applied during early pod developmental stages indicates the yield loss had more to do with direct impacts of the heat waves on reproductive process than on photosynthesis. Soybean was unable to mitigate yield loss after heat waves given during late reproductive stages. This study shows that short high-temperature stress events that reduce photosynthesis and increase oxidative stress resulted in significant losses to soybean production in the Midwest, U.S. The study also suggests that to mitigate heat wave-induced yield loss, soybean needs improved reproductive and photosynthetic tolerance to high but increasingly common temperatures.

Decay and Nutrient Release Patterns of Weeds Following Post-Emergent Glyphosate Control

The role of weed biomass in the nutrient balance of agro-ecosystems remains poorly understood. To measure the rate of decomposition and nutrient release of common weeds, litterbag methodology was employed using waterhemp and giant foxtail desiccated by glyphosate at heights of 10, 20, 30, and 45 cm in two southern Illinois soybean fields. Losses were then expressed as a decay constant (k) regressed over time according to the single exponential decay model. Concentrations of the recalcitrant cell wall components (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) were generally greatest as weed height (maturity) increased in giant foxtail compared with waterhemp. Sixteen weeks after desiccation by glyphosate, 10-cm waterhemp and giant foxtail detritus had lost 10 and 12% more mass, respectively, compared to the 45-cm height of each species. Decomposition rates revealed mass loss was highest for 10-cm waterhemp (kD = 0.022) and lowest for 45-cm giant foxtail (kD = 0.011) and this process was negatively correlated to the overall amount of cell wall constituents (r = −0.73). Nutrient release rates followed a similar trend in that both shorter (younger) weeds and waterhemp liberated nutrients more readily. Across all tested plant material, K was the nutrient most rapidly released, whereas, Ca was the most strongly retained nutrient.

Technological Advances in Soybean Yields: A Disaggregated Approach

ABSTRACTIncreasing row crop productivity—as measured by yields per acre—is an important topic from a number of perspectives. On a global scale, increased output per unit of land is needed to meet growing world food demand. On a regional scale, investments in yield‐enhancing basic research need to result in improved yields for producers. In this research we set forth to quantify the impact of technology, precipitation, and temperature on soybean yields. Specifically, a disaggregated approach is used to model Illinois soybean yields across the nine state crop reporting districts. The results show that weather impacts are similar across the crop reporting districts; however, technology benefits accrue at statistically different rates across regions. The results provide no evidence that soybean yields in Illinois are plateauing [JEL Classifications: Q130, Q160, Q190].

A Public Program to Evaluate Commercial Soybean Cultivars for Pathogen and Pest Resistance.

The soybean crop is one of the most important crops worldwide, as the seeds are used for both protein meal and vegetable oil. Soybean acreage covers an estimated 6% of the arable land in the world, and since the 1970s, soybean has had the highest percent increase of hectares in production compared to any other major crop. As demand for soybean continues to rise, the production area and worldwide trade are likely to increase. Biotic constraints, such as pathogens, pests, and weeds, can be detrimental to soybean production, causing significant negative impacts to yield. To successfully reduce losses caused by pathogens and pests, various practices such as cultural and seed sanitation techniques, pesticide applications, and deployment of resistance are used. For many years, public institutions have conducted regional yield trials on both private and public sector soybean cultivars. In Illinois, the University of Illinois Variety Testing Program created a public database for growers. Prompted in part by disease reports on cultivars entered into the Variety Testing Program, the Illinois Soybean Association began providing funds in 1998 to obtain additional information from regional trials to benefit growers in the state. The researchers in the Soybean Variety Testing Program conduct replicated field trials and evaluate these plots for agronomic characteristics such as height, lodging, maturity, and yield. In addition to standard yield trial data, protein and oil content are analyzed.

DNA Methylation and Histone Modifications of Wnt Genes by Genistein During Colon Cancer Development

The current study elucidates the epigenetic mechanisms by which genistein maintains a normal level of WNT genes during colon cancer development. We have shown that SPI and GEN diets repressed WNT signaling, which correlated with the reduction of preneoplastic lesions in rat colon. Here we hypothesized that SPI and GEN induced epigenetic modifications on WNT genes, therefore suppressed the gene expression induced by AOM. We identified that in the post‐AOM period the acetylation of histone H3 was downregulated by SPI and GEN at the promoter of selected WNT genes, which is in parallel with the reduced binding of RNA Polymerase II at the same region. Meanwhile, nuclear histone deacetylase 3 was enhanced by SPI and GEN. The diets suppressed the trimethylation of histone H3 Lys 9 and the phosphorylation of Ser 10. Methylation of the specific region of Sfrp2, Sfrp5, and Wnt5a genes was increased by SPI and GEN, which was correlated with the reduction of gene expression. Bisulfite sequencing confirmed that dietary genistein induced DNA methylation of the promoter of Sfrp5, closely correlated with the reduced histone modifications at the same region. We present an epigenetic mechanism by which dietary genistein controls the responses of WNT genes during carcinogen induction, involving DNA methylation and histone modifications at the regulatory region of gene.Grant Funding Source: Illinois Soybean Association and NIH/NCI

Development of a Team-Based On-Farm Learning Program While Challenging Soybean Growers to Increase Yield

Illinois soybean growers have not been satisfied with recent lagging yield trends. A yield "challenge" was created to blend the motivation and creativity of a yield contest with the learning power of teamwork and on-farm demonstration. In the initial year (2010), 123 on-farm side-by-side demonstration plots were located throughout the state; 81% of those locations showed increased soybean yields through additional management, and 55% of the experimental challenge plots were profitable. Participant surveys indicated that 92% learned a new production practice and that 69% would adopt experimental practices on more production acres the following year.

Estimating Factor Contributions to Soybean Yield from Farm Field Data

Illinois ranks second in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production in the United States with an annual crop value of some $4 billion. To discover what management practices, soil parameters, and environmental conditions enable higher soybean yields, the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) started in 2010 a state‐wide “Yield Challenge” (YC) program. Enrolled producers established a “challenge” plot and adjoining “standard” practices plot, and agreed to share crop management information, soil samples, and yield data. Our work describes data analyses and findings using data generated under this program. Yields differed between standard and challenge plots across the state, with foliar applications of fungicide and or insecticide resulting in significant yield increases. Using principal component analyses and multiple regression tools, we were able to explain about 54% of the variation in soybean yield for the state in 2010. Within the available data range, delays in planting date and increased row spacing both reduced soybean yields, and tilled fields yielded more than no– tilled soybean fields. We uncovered a negative trend between soybean yield and PC1, formed by soil cation exchange capacity (CEC), dominant cations, and soil organic matter (SOM), likely due to the drainage characteristics of the plots. Yields were also decreased with increasing values of PC3, a variable that includes soil pH, Mn levels, and soybean cyst nematode (SCN) egg count. On the other hand, higher soil test values of P, Zn, Fe, and K, included in PC2, were related to higher soybean yields. We see this as a promising start to identifying management factors that may be addressed as we continue the search for higher soybean yields.

Cost to Produce Corn and Soybeans in Illinois--2010

Cost to Produce Corn and Soybeans in Illinois--2010

Respray Requests on Custom-Applied, Glyphosate-Resistant Soybeans in Illinois: How Many and Why

If an herbicide application fails to control a targeted weed community sufficiently, farmers may try to eliminate surviving weeds with a follow-up application (hereafter “respray”). Despite the implications of resprays on the spread of herbicide-resistant weeds, respray frequencies and causal factors are poorly understood. A two-part survey of glyphosate-resistant soybean fields and custom application services was conducted in Illinois during 2005 and 2006 to determine the relative frequency of respray requests for postemergence glyphosate, and to identify weed community factors associated with glyphosate respray requests. A meta-analysis was then utilized to project the impacts of weed community factors driving respray requests on crop yield. Glyphosate resprays were requested for 14% of surveyed fields in both 2005 (n= 43) and 2006 (n= 90). In 2005, respray requests were highly associated with both population densities of weed communities visible from roadsides and incidences of skips (i.e., rectangular areas of escaped weeds indicating custom application failure). A skip increased the odds of respray request by more than ninefold, and population densities of weed communities visible from roadsides were, on average, 2.5 times greater in respray-requested fields compared with nonrequested fields. In 2006, respray requests were associated with population densities of weed communities identified by walking through fields. Contrary to 2005, requests in 2006 were concentrated in those fields with low weed population densities. Prior to resprays, weed communities capable of causing substantial soybean yield loss were present in both respray-requested and nonrequested fields in 2005 but in only nonrequested fields in 2006. Although this investigation indicated that custom applicators can take actions to reduce respray requests (i.e., avoiding skips), farmers and custom applicators should be prepared to implement additional weed control after postemergence glyphosate applications because damaging weed communities may remain.

First Report of Soybean Rust Caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi on Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) in Illinois.

Soybean rust, caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi Syd., first was observed in the continental United States during 2004 on soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) in Louisiana (4), and on kudzu (Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr. var. lobata (Willd.) Maesen & Almeida) in Florida (2). Kudzu is a leguminous weed that is prevalent in the southern United States with its range extending northward into other states including Illinois. In October 2009, a kudzu patch located in Pulaski County in southern Illinois was investigated for the presence of soybean rust. Twenty-five leaflets were collected, and the abaxial sides of leaflets were evaluated visually for the presence of uredinia with a dissecting microscope. Uredinia and urediniospores were found on two leaflets. When viewed with a compound microscope, urediniospores were hyaline, echinulate, and measured 20 × 25 μm. On the basis of uredinia and urediniospores, the disease tentatively was identified as soybean rust caused by P. pachyrhizi. To confirm the identification, one leaflet with pustules was assayed with a Soybean Rust QuickStix Diagnostic Kit (Envirologix, Portland, ME). For the other leaflet, the area of the pustule was excised (approximately 28 mm2) and an area of the leaflet at the margin on the opposite half of the leaflet with no visible pustule (approximately 54 mm2) was excised. DNA was extracted from the excised areas of the leaflet for confirmation by quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) using primers and probe specific to P. pachyrhizi and P. meibomiae (Arthur) Arthur (1). Both the QuickStix Diagnostic Kit and the Q-PCR confirmed the diagnosis as soybean rust caused by P. pachyrhizi. Q-PCR also suggested the presence of a nonsporulating latent rust infection on the same kudzu leaflet at the margin on the opposite side of the midrib. Soybean rust first was confirmed on soybean in Illinois in 2006 (3), but to our knowledge, this is the first observation of the disease on kudzu in the state. This report confirms that at least some kudzu plants in Illinois are susceptible to soybean rust and that latent kudzu infection may exist without outward signs of the fungus. Currently, this is the most northern observation of soybean rust on kudzu in North America. It is unknown what role, if any, Illinois kudzu will play in the epidemiology of soybean rust in the state. Since kudzu tops die after the first frost, there is no expectation of P. pachyrhizi to overwinter in Illinois on kudzu as it does in some states adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico.

Low glycinin soymilk ameliorates body fat accumulation and improves serum antioxidant status in overweight men

Low glycinin soybeans were enriched in β‐conglycinins, with similar amino acid, isoflavone, and fatty acid profiles as conventional soybean. β‐conglycinins and other soybean components are potential protective agents against body fat accumulation and inflammation. The objective was to compare low glycinin soymilk (LGS) with conventional soymilk (S) and cow's milk (M) for effects on body fat accumulation, serum lipids, antioxidant capacity and biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation. In a randomized, double‐blind, placebo controlled, IRB approved study, overweight men (BMI > 25) were divided into three groups and fed daily for 3 months 500 ml of LGS, S or M. No changes were observed in their calorie intake and physical activity (p > 0.05). LGS consumption caused less total body fat accumulation compared to S and M. Oxidized LDL was dramatically decreased after LGS consumption (−75%) in comparison to M (p = 0.03). The rate of increase of serum antioxidant capacity was faster after consumption of LGS (8%, 16%, and 21%) compared to S (−3%, 12%, and 18%) at 1, 2 and 3 months, respectively, but no increase was observed for M. Interleukin‐6 decreased after 3 months for LGS consumption but not M (p < 0.03). LGS ameliorated body fat accumulation and improved antioxidant status compared to S in overweight men. LGS consumption may be useful to prevent body fat accumulation and reverse oxidative stress.Monsanto Co., ADM and ISAGrant Funding Source: Monsanto, ADM, Illinois Soybean Association

Response of Bt and Near‐Isoline Corn Hybrids to Plant Density

Transgenic Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn (Zea mays L.) hybrids with resistance to corn rootworm (CRW; Diabrotica spp.) or European corn borer [ECB; Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner)] can have greater tolerance to water and nutrient stress, and thus may have higher optimum plant densities. Experiments were conducted following soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] over nine site‐years in Illinois to determine whether the response to plant density for corn grain yield and net return to seed cost differ among near‐isoline hybrids with no insect resistance, Bt resistance to CRW, or Bt resistance to CRW plus ECB. Similar experiments were conducted over three site‐years in Iowa following both soybean and corn for near‐isoline hybrids with Bt resistance to ECB or ECB plus CRW. Larval CRW injury was low in Iowa and stalk lodging was minimal in all experiments. Across site‐years in Illinois and in both crop sequences in Iowa, grain yield and net return to seed cost were not affected by hybrid. Net return to seed cost within $2.50 ha−1 of the maximum occurred with densities of 76,300 to >98,600 plants ha−1 following soybean in Illinois, 87,100 to 93,400 plants ha−1 following soybean in Iowa, and 87,400 to 95,700 plants ha−1 following corn in Iowa. Yields within these optimum plant densities were 15.9, 16.1, and 15.4 Mg ha−1, respectively. When CRW and ECB are managed or are at low levels, optimum plant density is similar between hybrids with or without resistance to these pests.

Occurrences of Soybean Viruses, Fungal Diseases, and Pests in Illinois Soybean Rust Sentinel Plots

After soybean rust was confirmed in soybean in the USA, sentinel plots were established in 26 states to monitor its spread. Funding for establishing, sampling, and monitoring the plots came from the USDA, national, regional, and state soybean commodity boards, and state departments of agriculture, extension services, and universities. The presence of sentinel plots for soybean rust monitoring provided the potential for reducing the time and expense of extensive statewide travel for collection of soybean leaf samples for monitoring the incidence of other foliar diseases of soybean in Illinois. Accepted for publication 27 July 2010. Published 27 August 2010.