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Do you have patches of poorly-growing soybeans?

Last week took me on a trip to northern Minnesota soybean fields with problems in need of a diagnosis. In a field of otherwise phenomenal looking soybeans, there was a very large patch of soybeans that were visibly paler, shorter and thinner (nowhere near closing rows) from the road. First things first. Upon entering the field, I made a beeline for the dividing line between the gorgeous, healthy soybeans and the sickly soybeans. It is this area of a field of plants that can provide the quickest clues as to the cause of the problem. I gently dug up the plants to inspect the roots, as pulling plants from even moist ground may help to obscure the cause of the problem. There was evidence of the plant encountering a compacted layer of soil. This could be easily observed by all of the taproots taking a sharp turn to the right or left and not growing straight down. However, the taproots prevailed, breaking through the compacted layer of soil to again grow downward ( Figure 1 ). Figur...
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Check alfalfa stands for winter injury as we wait for fields to dry

Now is the time to check alfalfa stands Late last week, as I walked through an alfalfa field on my way to a 2024 corn field that will be planted to a soybean experiment this spring, alfalfa re-growth was spotty at best (Figure 1). A look from a distance hinted at decent survival and regrowth, but upon closer inspection, many of the green plants observed were dandelions....  Figure 2 illustrates that the lack of insulating, protection-providing snow cover didn't kill every plant. Figure 1. An alfalfa stand near Gary, MN in late April 2025. Note: most of the green is dandelions.  Figure 2. Some lone alfalfa crowns showing signs of life surrounded by many more that were not.  Assess plant health, plant population and stem density There are three things that one should look at to determine whether an alfalfa crop is likely to be productive enough to keep, needs rehabilitation or should be scrapped and another forage crop seeded. Briefly, from multiple areas of the field, 1) d...

If your 'hair isn't on fire' regarding SCN, it should be!: How to get free sample analysis & management recommendations

This article was written by Angie Peltier, UMN Extension educator-crops. Figure. Soybean roots, with yellow arrows pointing to swollen female SCN and the white  arrow to a  much larger nitrogen fixing nodule.  Photo: Angie Peltier Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is a microscopic worm that is attracted to and infests soybean roots where it uses for its own growth and development the water and sugars that the soybean plant takes up to develop leaves, flowers, pods and beans (Figure). Capable of causing significant yield loss without alerting a producer of its presence, SCN caused an estimated $7.32 million in lost yield in 2023 in Minnesota (Crop Protection Network, 2024), making it the top yield-limiting pathogen of soybean in Minnesota and throughout the Midwest. One of the most sickening feelings is to visit a field to assist a farmer or crop consultant with diagnosing a soybean production issue only to have to break the news to the unsuspect...

Keep an eye out for sudden death syndrome in soybeans & notify me of suspected cases

This article was written by Angie Peltier. The 2024 growing season couldn't have been any more ideal for sudden death syndrome (SDS) symptoms to appear in soybeans during reproductive growth stages, provided your field was infested with Fusarium virguliforme , the fungus that causes SDS. If you encounter soybeans in northwest Minnesota, please send me an email (apeltier@umn.edu) or give me a call {(218) 281-8692} as I would like to come and check out your field and collect isolates for further study. Wet weather this spring lead some to 'mud in' their soybeans, likely lead to both side wall and general compaction and wet weather after planting all favor infection by F. virguliforme. Infection can take place just as soon as the radicle breaks through the seed coat.  While SDS can cause root rot, it is most often much later in the growing season that the most conspicuous symptoms of SDS become evident. While the fungus remains below ground, plenty of rain during the reproduct...

What I found while taking a walk in soybean fields in NW MN

T his article was written by Angie Peltier, UMN Extension crops educator. In recent days I have had the chance to drive around the region to see what there is to see in soybeans. In the small blessings department, it looks as if recent rains and the fungal pathogens that they favor, natural enemies of the soybean aphid and/or shortening daylength and declining food quality of soybeans has resulted in soybean aphid populations dropping far below treatment thresholds. If one does find a soybean population at treatment threshold (an average of 250 aphids per plant, more than 80% of plants infested, populations increasing), double check soybean growth stage by opening up and taking a look at the seeds in the pods at the top four leaf axils. If the seeds within the pods are nearly filling the seed cavity, the crop is approaching the full seed or R6 growth stage and will soon begin losing leaves, pods will begin to reach a mature color and seeds dry down. It is the rare situation (very h...