Soybean production is expanding. In some situations, the crop will be planted in fields that have never been planted to soybeans or haven't been planted to soybeans for more than four years. This article provides recommendations for planting soybeans under these conditions.

There has been a great deal of interest in recent months in the idea of using nitrogen fertilizer during the growing season to increase soybean yields.

As past experience has taught many of us that live in the "frozen tundra," a Wisconsin spring can appear rapidly, so here are a few thoughts to mull over before we all get busy and throw recommendations out the window to get those crops in the ground.

There are no major insect pests of soybean seedlings, but occasionally we do run into problems. Some folks use an insecticidal seed treatment in soybeans.

Achieving the correct planting depth is more critical for soybean production than it is for corn production for several reasons. Soybean seed requires more water to germinate and soybean emergence is impeded to a greater extent when a soil crust develops.

Nematodes are common pests in many soybean fields in the state. Sometimes called the "hidden enemy"?, root-knot, soybean cyst, and reniform nematodes can be costly if they are ignored. Because they are not visible, damage caused by nematodes is often overlooked.

The trend among northern Plains farmers is toward using less tillage to produce field crops with more residue left on the soil surface and strip-till is one system being utilized in the area. Researchers from South Dakota State University detail some of the benefits and considerations for implementing and managing strip-till.

Many times the differences in attaining higher net income for soybean producers can be directly tied to the timing of planting. Recent research showed yields averaged approximately 1/3 bushel per acre less for every day planting was delayed.

FMC Agricultural Solutions announced a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) crop registration of its Anthem SE herbicide for use on soybeans.

If we could predict or know that the planting season during 2014 would be like it was in 2012 (the dry spring), then we would say don't treat your seed at all. But if the season is like this past year, wet, the combinations of seed treatments did a much better job and at the higher rates. There have been lots of questions over the past few days on what fungicides to apply; what rates to use; and are insecticides always necessary. Here we try to parse it all out for you.