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County Impact Statements - Crittenden County
Soybean Production and IPM Approaches Research and Field
Demonstrations
Soybeans grown in Crittenden County consist of 202,000 acres. Only one third
of this production is irrigated. Soil types of sand, silt loam and clay are used
for soybean planting. Variety selections are crucial since low profits are
received.
Crittenden County growers were requiring high yielding soybeans that can
negotiate field rotations and diverse planting opportunities. Improving the
efficiency of soybean production through five varietal field demonstrations were
used to show current technologies along with upcoming new soybean lines. Very
early to typical maturities are grown on 65,000 acres in the county this past
year.
Saving labor, water and fuel to produce a crop has been the Extension
service’s attempt for intensely managed fields. Border irrigation with Bart
Turner, John Morrison, John Wallace and Drew Oliver has accomplished this goal
even for small soybean plants. Only a brief flushing of water is required across
the field with a minimum input cost of equipment and setup. Irrigation
applications are adjusted to the field size, so monitoring of the event is
reduced. The intent of very little runoff water from the field results in less
wasted into the drainage systems.
Fall soil sampling of continuous soybean production fields have found
extremely high soybean cyst nematode numbers greater than 9,000 per pint on one
of Danny Daughtery’s fields. Soybean research consisting of 173 variety plots
were established to monitor possible plant symptoms, nematode dynamics and
genetic resistance among varieties. Preliminary results show correct nematode
sampling and proper variety selection are essential to reduce long term damage
from cyst nematodes
Large block soybean variety strips are valuable to Curtis Tate
and other cooperating growers that address problems in their
area.
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Impacts
- Variety demonstration of maturity Group 0-IV planted after wheat yielded
30 to 49 bu/a.
- Variety demonstration of maturity Group IV-V planted early yielded 26 to
39 bu/a dryland.
- The county has switched to 40% earlier season soybeans from the later
maturing types of Group V.
- Adapting these new methods could increase growers’ income $25.00 an
acre.
- 8 growers have routinely adapted border irrigation methods for soybeans.
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