Wisconsin soybean growers whose yields were less than they expected this fall may have had problems with the soybean cyst nematode. The only way to know if the nematode is limiting yields is to run a soil test.

Craig Grau, a plant pathologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, conducts research on managing soybean diseases. He said he wasn’t looking for any relationships between soil pH and soybean cyst nematode or brown stem rot.

Visitors to the Marshfield Agricultural Research Station’s summer field day can take a guided tour of the station’s soils. The morning soils program will feature a walk-in soil pit.

Keith Kelling, Extension soils scientist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has received the Robert E. Wagner Award from the Potash & Phosphate Institute. He was cited for his Extension and applied research programs, which emphasize improved efficiency of purchased nutrients and full crediting of on-farm nutrient sources.

Were your soybean yields low last year? Was the yield low in a field where you didn’t expect it? The problem could be the soybean cyst nematode, a pest that has now been reported from 25 Wisconsin counties.

If your purchased-nitrogen budget is limited, you’ll see much better returns by applying some nitrogen to all responsive acres rather than applying all of your nitrogen to some fields and none to others, according to Larry Bundy, a soil scientist at the UW-Madison’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

Nitrogen prices are skyrocketing and 2001 corn prices will probably be no better than last year’s — not a great situation for corn growers. One easy way to save money on nitrogen this year is to take full credit for the nitrogen that’s already in your fields, according to Larry Bundy, a soil scientist at the UW-Madison’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

Recent findings are leading to new insights into how best to improve the nutritional value of forage grasses and which approaches aren’t likely to pay off for producers.

If you’re supplementing phosphorus in a typical Wisconsin dairy diet, you’re probably feeding too much of the mineral. Cutting back on supplementation won’t hurt production or herd health, and you’ll be doing a favor for water quality, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the USDA Dairy Forage Research Center.

The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison invites prospective students, including high school juniors and seniors, and their parents to preview what the Farm and Industry Short Course has to offer.