Soybean Agronomy

Soybeans are a valuable crop on Virginia farms and the Tidewater AREC serves as a key base for soybean and cotton production research and variety testing. The goal is to develop cultural practices and identify varieties that enhance farm sustainability through increased productivity, production cost control, and reduction or elimination of environmental impact. This is done primarily through evaluating soil fertility and plant nutrition of agronomic cropping systems, evaluating efficiency and efficacy of no-till cropping systems, and studying the biochemical processes regulating nutrient cycling within no-till crop production systems. Agronomist Carrie Ortel leads the soybean program along with collaborating scientists from campus, Tidewater and other ARECs, graduate students, cooperating growers, and technical staff with funding support from commodity board, industry, and other competitive grants. Selected examples of current research topics include:

• Determination of the optimum potassium fertilizer rate in full-season and double-crop soybean.
• Increasing yield and profitability of double-crop soybean in the Mid-Atlantic region.
• On-farm validation of a foliar fungicide decision aid.

The primary goal of extension agronomists is to extend agronomic knowledge and understanding to others by observing current practices and listening to concerns, improving the meaning and application of and simplifying scientific principles and research, and guiding the implementation of improved production practices through education and demonstration so to change behavior that leads to profitable and environmentally responsible agriculture.