NOVEMBER SOYBEAN NEWSLETTER
UGA SOYBEAN EXTENSION TEAM
I.
2007 Georgia Soybean Production Summary Wow! What a year this has been for
Georgia soybean production. Favorable market prices invited Georgia soybean
producers to plant more soybeans. This they did. USDA/NASS now projects 2007
Georgia soybean acres for harvest to be 265,000 acres, 125,000 more than 2006.
Georgia soybean yields are also projected to be 30 bu/A, about 5 bu/A more than 2006.
This is especially noteworthy considering that ¾ of the 2007 acreage was double
cropped. If realized, the 2007 Georgia soybean crop will be 7.95 million bushels, or 212
percent more than 2006.
Due to large carry out stocks, last spring many reasoned that soybean market prices
would retreat as the season progressed. This did not happen. Soybean stocks declined
significantly as a result of US farmers planting more corn and fewer soybeans. In
addition, a weak US dollar against foreign currencies made US soybeans a good buy in
foreign markets. As a result, soybean market prices actually increased during the
growing and harvest seasons. Current soybean futures are trading above $9.50/bu.
The combination of increased production and increased market price will make the 2007
Georgia soybean crop worth 65-70 million dollars. This combination should provide
incentive for further acreage increase in 2008.
Drought was a major problem for the 2007 Georgia soybean crop, first in the spring to
delay plantings, and then in mid-summer to curb vegetative growth. Fortunately, general
rains came in June to help get stands and in late August-early September to help get pod
fill. Most farms received less than 2/3 the normal summer rainfall. But fortunately
most Georgia soybeans got some rainfall each time it was critically needed.
General statistics on this crop were reported in the October soybean newsletter. There
were numerous reports of soybean rust occurring in South Georgia soybean fields by late
September. Fortunately, due to lateness of occurrence and to Sentinel Plots around
Georgia, careful monitoring, and resulting fungicide applications, the soybean rust did
not cause major losses.
There is now more interest in Georgia production than there has been in the last several
years. Georgia farmers are now in the process of planting a large soft red winter wheat
crop—probably over 600,000 acres. If realized, this should “set the table” for further
increases in 2008 double crop soybeans, especially if soybean prices remain high. In
addition, the higher yields resulting from improved varieties, strip tillage, and foliage
protection are also stimulating renewed soybean interest.
To help with anticipated 2008 soybean educational needs, the University of Georgia
Extension Soybean Team is providing /preparing educational assistance as follows:
 Participation in Extension Winter School, 2008 Georgia/Florida Small Grain
Expo


Preparing 2008 Georgia Soybean Production Guide
Preparing a “10 Steps to High Soybean Yields” brochure and PowerPoint
presentation for local meetings (can be downloaded from the website
 Participating in county production meetings (upon requests from county agents)
Mrs. Sara Cates (229/388-3006) has the UGA soybean meeting calendar. Please feel free
to contact her or any of us for scheduling a soybean meeting.
II.
Why the Green Soybean Leaves and Stems at Maturity We have received several
calls about soybean not drying down at the expected maturity time. In reported fields,
the seed seem to dry down, but stalks remain green with green leaves.
There are two common causes for this situation. One, stems and leaves remain green if
there was heavy stink bug feeding and injury during pod fill. Another cause of this
condition is foliar fungicides, especially multiple applications of strobilurin fungicides.
If stink bugs are involved, the affected plants will usually be in areas adjacent to early
maturing crops such as corn, vegetables, or small grains from which the stink bugs
migrated. Soybeans damaged by stink bugs to the extent that stalks and leaves remain
green are usually not worth harvesting.
When green stalks and leaves result from foliar fungicide application, it is usually with
early to very early maturing soybean varieties and in field areas with thin stands.
III.
Soybean Varieties We have received several inquiries about recommended soybean
varieties for 2008 and those with southern root knot nematode resistance. The UGA
soybean OVTs are just now being harvested. It will take several weeks to process and
analyze data. As soon as this is completed, the UGA Soybean Committee will review
data and offer 2008 soybean variety recommendations. We will try hard to have this list
to county extension offices by January 1.
In years past I have prepared an “All Star” soybean variety list for Coastal Plain counties
which consisted of recommended varieties with Southern Root Knot nematode
resistance and above average yield. The table below contains such varieties from the
2007 recommended l9ist. It will be updated when 2008 variety recommendations are
made.
SOYBEAN VARIETIES ADAPTED TO THE COASTAL PLAIN THAT HAVE
GOOD SOUTHERN ROOT KNOT NEMATODE RESISTANCE, OCT. 2007
VARIETY
SUITABLE PLANTING TIME
BEST ROW SPACING*
Very Early (MGV)
AGS 568 RR
DPL 5634 RR
May-Early June
May-Early June
15-30”
15-30”
May-Early June
May-Early June
May-Early June
20-36”
20-36”
20-36”
May-Late June
May-Late June
May-Late June
May-Late June
May-Late June
24-36”
24-36”
24-36”
24-36”
24-36”
Late May-Late June
28-36”
July
20-30”
Early (MGVI)
Asgrow 6702 RR
DPL 6880 RR
SS RT6451N RR
Mid-Season (MG VII)
AGS 758 RR
DPL DP7330 RR
Dekalb H7242 RR
NK S78 G6 RR
USG 7732n RR
Late (MG VIII)
NK S80-P2 RR
Cobb
* Closer row width will often give higher yield if planted in environment where canopy does not
close by time of bloom. If it is necessary to make a choice between close row spacing or wide
rows with in-row sub soiling, choose wide rows. Soybeans on Coastal Plain soils tend to
respond more to in-row sub-soiling than to close row spacing.
IV.
Important Dates
1/23
1/30
2/20
Soybean Update Instruction
Georgia/FL Small Grain/Soybean Expo
Maximum Economic yield Workshop
Winter School, Rock Eagle
National Fairgrounds, Perry
UGA Conference Center, Tifton
V.
Final Disease Notes for 2007
Dr. Bob Kemerait
On the the 5th of November, I traveled from Tifton to the University of Georgia’s eastern
research and education center in Midville. Along the route, I passed through towns like
Irwinville, Fitzgerald, Lumber City, Mount Vernon, Soperton, and Swainsboro.
Between these towns I had the opportunity to see many soybean fields and to reflect
back on the field season that is now nearing completion.
All of the fields that I passed were defoliated; some were harvested or being harvested as
I drove by. Although it is impossible to estimate yields while traveling at 65 MPH, it
appeared that many of the fields had a fair load of pods on the plants. Hopefully this
will translate into profit for the growers.
Much of the “hype” regarding Asian soybean rust that swirled around soybean
production in 2005 and 2006 had settled to thoughtful awareness and limited concern by
early 2007. Producers in Georgia recognize that Asian soybean rust is a disease that
they will encounter (sooner or later) each season and a disease that can cause significant
yield losses if it occurs early enough in the season and is not managed with an effective
fungicide.
Asian soybean rust was slow to develop in the southeastern United States in 2007, due in
large part to severe drought. Asian soybean rust is most troublesome when there is
sufficient rain to help the spores infect the crop and storms to carry spores across fields
and over long distances. The lack of rainfall and storms, especially hurricanes, was an
important reason for the delayed entrance of rust into commercial fields.
There is a second factor I believe slowed the spread of rust. Once rust was reported in
the panhandle of Florida and in Brooks County, Georgia, producers began to apply
fungicides for the control of soybean rust. In discussions with county agents across the
state, we estimate that 90-100% of the acreage in southwestern and south-central
Georgia was treated with fungicide, while 40-60% of acreage in eastern Georgia was
treated. Few soybean fields in northern Georgia were treated due to the extreme drought
and because rust was not detected in that region.
Because it was difficult to find soybean rust in many commercial fields across the
coastal plain, growers may question the validity of our Extension recommendations to
treat for the disease. In short, with hind sight as 20/20, was the use of fungicides by our
soybean producers to manage soybean rust a wise investment?
Looking back on the 2007 season, I firmly believe that growers across the coastal plain
were prudent to treat for soybean rust, even though the disease was slow to spread and
may not have affected every field (e.g. some untreated fields had little disease). Here are
the reasons for my conclusion:
1. Extension recommendations to apply fungicides for control of soybean rust were not
initiated until rust was confirmed in the local region.
2. Recommendations to apply fungicides were based both on early detection and
consideration for environmental conditions in the local region.
3. Growers were advised to try and time fungicide applications with a trip already
scheduled across the field, e.g. for the application of boron and Dimilin.
4. Research results from 2005 and 2006 clearly show the benefit to applying fungicides
for the control of rust and the danger in terms of yield loss if the crop is not
protected. Given the current price of soybeans, protecting the crop with a fungicide
was a good insurance policy.
Currently, we are harvesting 10 soybean fungicide trials (Attapulgus, SunBelt Expo,
Tifton, and Midville) and rust has been confirmed in all of them. We will soon know if
the soybean rust in these trials was sufficient to cause yield loss. Dr. John Woodruff has
harvested a trial from Mitchell County and preliminary assessment of the data indicates
that treatment of the crop with a fungicide increased both yield and profit to some
degree. Results from all of these trials will be available to our producers during winter
production meetings.