NDSU Extension updates Soybean Production Field Guide

By Kelli Anderson

Producers, agricultural consultants and others interested in agriculture can use the updated “Soybean Production Field Guide for North Dakota” (Publication A1172) to get the latest information on soybean production, says Hans Kandel, North Dakota State University Extension agronomist and co-editor of the publication. The update has major revisions about irrigation, disease, insect and weed management, and several management practices.

An online version of the updated publication is available at https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-hub/publications/soybean-production-field-guide-north-dakota.

Topics covered in the publication include understanding the growth and development of soybean plants, field selection and preparation, planting date guidelines, seeding rates, frost tolerance and damage, soil fertility requirements, information on irrigation, weed control, insect pest and disease management, harvesting, drying and storage. At the end of the publication, there are several photos of agronomy issues, insects and diseases common in soybean production.

“Changing weather conditions with varied rainfall amounts and stored soil water require soybean growers to make careful decisions regarding crop rotations, tillage system, fertility management, variety selection, plant establishment, weed control strategies, water management, and disease and insect management,” says Kandel.

“This updated field guide has been developed to help make soybean production management decisions,” says Greg Endres, Extension cropping systems specialist and co-editor of the guide. “However, detailed and extensive information on any one area is not provided because of limited space. Complete discussions on topics including variety performance, soil fertility, weed, disease and insect management are available in other Extension publications.”

The publication is also available in print at NDSU Research Extension Centers, NDSU Extension county offices, or the NDSU Distribution Center in Fargo by calling 701-231-7883 or emailing ndsu.distributionctr@ndsu.edu. When ordering from outside North Dakota, a small shipping and handling charge will apply.