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Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie has recorded yield increases of 2 bu. to 5 bu. per acre from rolling soybeans and up to 5 bu. per acre from herbicides. Those results were with soybeans planted at the normal time. But what happens with early-planted soybeans? Planting soybeans early, so they begin to flower before the summer solstice, can boost yield, but it requires a detailed focus on management. While Ferrie’s studies of man-made stress on early-planted soybeans are ongoing, he’s learning more about how to manage them. With stress, timing is critical. “Charts used by insurance adjusters to evaluate the effect of hail damage illustrate the importance of growth stage,” Ferrie says. “If plants are in vegetative stages V9 to V12, 100% defoliation reduces projected yield by only 10%. But if plants have entered the reproductive stage at V10/R5, the projected yield loss is more than 85%.” Roll Early Before Plants Become Too Brittle “Just as with normal planting, rolling early-planted soybeans at the V1 to V2 stage gives the best response,” Ferrie says. “In our 2018 study, early-planted soybeans rolled at the V1 to V2 stage yielded 83 bu. per acre. An unrolled check plot yielded only 79 bu. per acre.” In the same study, rolling too late, in the V2 to V3 stage, reduced yield from 81.9 bu. per acre to 79.5 bu. Even though they rolled in the afternoon, when warmer temperatures should have made the plants less brittle, they had to stop because so many plants were breaking off. It’s OK to roll early-planted soybeans for rocks, you might see a yield increase from branching, Ferrie says. ”But if you usually roll normal-planted soybeans 10 days after emergence, your early- planted soybeans might not be at the same growth stage, or even emerged, because of cooler soil conditions,” he adds. ”Base rolling on the stage of the plant. You might also need to roll later in the day when the temperature is warmer.” Herbicide Application Takes Planning Keep the following in mind when using herbicides to stress soybeans: Understand label restrictions and know your weeds. Some herbicides must be applied a certain number of days after planting; some are restricted based on weed size and soybean growth stage. Most post-emergence products must be applied before weeds get too big. “You must understand the weeds you are trying to control,” Ferrie says. “Do they emerge early or later as the ground warms up? Apply the proper rate for the size of weed.” Because of resistance, you might have to apply a combination of herbicides, some of which can burn plants. “This makes it imperative to understand the stage of soybean growth,” Ferrie says. “Most herbicide labels recommend not burning plants after R1. The same stress that increases branching, especially of lower nodes, can cause flower, pod and bean abortion. Make sure weeds are enough of a problem to justify some yield loss.” Don’t confuse soybean plant height and growth stage. “At knee-high, a plant can be V10 or V10/R2,” Ferrie says. “This is even more important with early planting because the plants flower earlier. With normal planting, plants could be at V10, and a diphenyl ether herbicide could increase branching and boost yield. But with early planting, the plants could be at V10/R2, and burning will abort flowers and pods.” Ferrie’s studies show why growth stage is so important, and how the situation changes with early planting. In 2018, he sprayed plants that were flowering before the solstice (at the V7/R2, or full flower, stage) with a full rate of diphenyl ether. Those soybeans yielded 70.9 bu. per acre, while an unsprayed check yielded 79.1. In 2019, Ferrie sprayed a herbicide on two soybean plots that were planted in May and flowered after the solstice. A 3.2-maturity variety, burned at the V9 to early R1 stage, made 78 bu. per acre compared with 74 bu. in an unsprayed check. A 4.1-maturity variety, sprayed at V9, yielded 78 bu. per acre, versus 73.5 bu. where it was not sprayed. From the road, an early-planted soybean might look like it’s ready to spray, based on what you are used to seeing with normal planting, Ferrie says. But closer examination might reveal it’s already as far along as R3. Spraying will reduce yield. With early planting, you can no longer apply a herbicide based on days after planting. “You must scout to determine soybean growth stage and weed height,” Ferrie says. One-Two Punch To Yield Take natural stress into account. “Although burning can stimulate branching and yield, if you burn drought-stressed soybeans, the combination might work against you,” Ferrie says. “Stress in the vegetative stages tends to slow maturity, but stress in the reproductive stages speeds maturity. If early-planted soybeans in the reproductive stage are under drought stress, burning could double the potential for yield loss while speeding maturity of the plant. Once a plant reaches R5, it will stop growing, and you might get stunted plants.”

With overwhelming bipartisan support, the House of Representatives passed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement with a vote of 385-41, setting up a vote in the Senate early next year. President Trump is expected to sign the agreement after the Senate approves it. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement that President Trump delivered on his promise to replace NAFTA and said USMCA is “huge success” for America’s farmers and ranchers. “This agreement will unleash the bounty of America’s agricultural harvest to two of our largest trading partners in the world and it is critical to the success of rural America,” Perdue said in a statement. Several fresh produce industry leaders also celebrated the vote on USMCA. “With today’s strong vote by the House, we encourage the Senate to move forward with consideration of USMCA,” Tom Stenzel, United Fresh Produce Association president and CEO, said in a news release. “For the fresh produce industry, this is a welcomed achievement as we continue to meet the demands from consumers for increased availability of healthy fresh fruits and vegetables. Finally, we believe this new trade agreement will strengthen our partnership between the three countries and provide essential cooperation in the fresh fruit and vegetable industry.” Jim Bair, president and CEO of the U.S. Apple Association, said in a statement that USMCA adds certainty to apple export efforts. “Growing apples is a risky business and locking in our largest markets adds certainty for the long haul,” Bair said in a statement. “It lets U.S. growers get back to doing what they do best – producing superior quality apples in a volume and range of varieties not available anywhere else.” Since NAFTA became effective in 1994, Bair said that apple exports to Mexico have quadrupled and those to Canada have doubled. A statement from the Produce Marketing Association said the revised NAFTA maintains zero tariffs for the trading of fruits and vegetables and modernizes border protocols, labor provisions and intellectual property rights. “This agreement is consistent with PMA’s over-arching goals of free and fair trade and we are pleased with this major step forward,” Richard Owen, vice president of global membership and engagement for the PMA, said in the statement. “Over the past 25 years, NAFTA helped increase year-round availability of fresh fruits and vegetables and in turn, increased consumption by U.S. consumers – an important step towards building a healthier world.” Under NAFTA, Owen said trilateral agricultural trade between the U.S., Canada and Mexico has grown from $16.7 billion in 1993 to $82 billion in 2013. U.S. imports of fresh produce from Mexico and Canada account for about half of all U.S. produce imports, Owen said in the statement. Mexico has already ratified USMCA and Canada’s Parliament likely won’t introduce legislation to ratify the agreement until after convening on Jan. 27, Owen said in the statement. Not everyone in the industry supported the deal, however. “It is deeply disappointing that seasonal protections were not included in this USMCA implementing legislation,” Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried said in a statement. “For nearly a year, I have called repeatedly for effective, timely relief from unfair trade practices for America’s seasonal produce growers in the USMCA. Florida remains committed to continuing our fight through all available channels to protect our vital seasonal produce industry, and to put Florida’s and America’s farmers first.” Fried said that USMCA could cost Florida farmers up to 8,000 lost jobs and $400 million in lost revenue. Tweaking the deal Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif, said USMCA was improved by Democrats. “When the administration first presented the USMCA to Congress earlier this year, we found it unacceptable due to the lack of serious labor and environmental standards and functioning enforcement mechanisms, as well as pharmaceuticals provisions that threatened to keep prescription drug prices high for consumers,” he said in a news release. “However, the Democratic Majority in Congress pushed back on the Administration and worked diligently with our U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, to greatly improve this deal. Panetta said Democrats negotiated makes several improvements over NAFTA and the 2018 USMCA, including introducing new rules of evidence for enforcement efforts. He said the agreement now creates new mechanisms to monitor labor rule compliance in Mexico and to enforce the commitment that parties trade only in goods that comply with the agreement’s rules on workers.

Better, faster and stronger. Testing new technology and innovation on farms, rather than in labs or controlled trials, serves as the ultimate measuring tape. When Tennessee producer Grant Norwood partnered with GroGuru, a startup with unique irrigation management technology enabling permanent soil sensor installation below till depth, the result was a big win for both farmer and company. Steered by AgLaunch, an ag tech-focused business acceleration program that connects growers and entrepreneurs, the Norwood-GroGuru collaboration serves as a blueprint for farmer-startup efforts. Cutting-Edge Access Across 3,000 no-till acres in northeast Tennessee’s Henry County, Norwood grows corn, soybeans and winter wheat, with roughly one-third of his acreage watered by pivots and under the eye of GroGuru’s strategic irrigation management technology. In 2018 and 2019, as the company’s first row-crop farmer-partner, Norwood tested GroGuru innovation. “By starting early, I got to be a big voice and help shape the technology to get the best product,” he says. “GroGuru delivers useful information about what is around the root zone — a complete look at what’s underground, and I can plant over the permanent ground sensors.” Candid Feedback Patrick Henry, CEO of GroGuru, says farmer-partners are invaluable. “We got candid feedback from Grant that allowed us to improve. There is no substitute for being in the field and working while farmers deal with day-to-day problems. You can’t find that dynamic in a lab or in field trials that don’t directly involve our end-customer — the farmer.” Norwood emphasizes the benefits for all growers: “The information I provided helped GroGuru with a better product and faster pace. Ultimately, this helps farmers access useful technology at the beginning of a startup. The experience produced a great working relationship, and I’m now involved in other AgLaunch projects.”