Program Helps Farmers Overcome Barriers to Higher Soybean Yields

Bringing Knowledge to Life! / Partner Report /
Monroe County
963 South Raisinville Road
Monroe, Michigan48161-9754
Phone: 734-240-3170 / E-mail:
Fax: 734-240-3183
Web: msue.msu.edu/monroe
April 2009

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thomas G. Coon, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.

Program helps farmers overcome barriers to higher soybean yields

More than 170 agricultural producers and agribusiness agronomists participated in an educational program titled, “Overcoming the Barriers to Higher Soybean Yields,” at Cabela’s in February. This was one of two regional programs designed to assist soybean growers as part of the Soybean 2010 Project which was developed to increase soybean yields in Michigan.

The day-long workshop covered a comprehensive list of information to aid farmers in developing skills to maximize soybean yields. Topics included:

Critical soybean growth and development stages and how they affect yield potential
Research from Iowa State University on increasing soybean yields and profitability
Highlights from the Michigan Soybean Yield Contest
Introduction of the STARS (Strip Testing at Regional Sites) program
Summary of the 2008 Foliar Fungicide Trials
Recommendations for improving soybean nodulation
Agronomic limitations of soybean yield and seed quality in the U.S.
Past, current and projected soybean production costs and market prices.

Participants completed a written evaluation at the end of the workshop. A summary of the data showed that 96 percent learned new information during the program.

Eighty nine percent said they plan to use what they learned to make management decisions and implement new practices in the 2009 growing season.

Seventy two percent of those individuals expect the information to earn or save them additional money this year. The average amount of money they plan to earn or save is $13.35 per acre. Participants plan to apply their new knowledge and practices to 14,878 acres, making the projected financial impact of this educational program more than $198,000.

Contact person: Ned Birkey

Farmers increase their stored grain management skills

MSU Extension collaborated with Ohio State University Extension to conduct two “On-Farm Stored Grain Management” workshops in March. One of these was held in Monroe County at Cabela’s for 39 farmers who represented 1,871,000 bushels of on-farm grain storage.

On-farm grain storage is becoming more common and more important as corn, soybeans and wheat are now identified by specific traits that are used for specific purposes. It is essential that the stored grains are handled properly to ensure maximum quality and that grains are kept separate to avoid cross-contamination (such asbetween genetically modified grains and non-genetically modified hybrids).

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Farmers stored grain - continued

The Nabisco Flour Mill in Toledo is paying a premium for certain varieties of soft, white wheat that makes for better flour for use by bakeries in the eastern U.S. Some corn varieties are better suited for ethanol production than other varieties. Certain varieties of soybeans are favored by the Japanese for tofu because they produce larger seeds and have a clear hilum (spot where the bean was attached to the pod).

A variety of topics were covered in the workshop to assist famers in improving their knowledge of stored grain management. In an evaluation conducted at the end of the workshop,96 percent of the participants agreed that they knew more about factors affecting grain quality, chemical options for insect pest management, stored grain aeration needs and health risks with grain handling facilities.

Ninety two percent reported an increased knowledge in stored grain moisture management, evaluating energy costs in drying grain, stored grain insect pest identification, non-chemical options for insect pest management, and injury risks around grain handling equipment as a result of the workshop.

Contact person: Ned Birkey

Mother-to-Mother program has positive impact on breastfeeding

The Mother-to-Mother program provides breastfeeding education and support to low-income mothers to enable them to successfully breastfeed their infants. Mothers enrolled in the program receive educational counseling from one of MSU Extension’s two breastfeeding program associates in Monroe County.

The program associates help the mothers understand the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby. They prepare mothers for what to expect from the breastfeeding experience and provide consultationthroughout the process. They also provide nutrition education to the mothers to help them maintain a healthy diet while breastfeeding.

They also provide lessons on when to start the baby on solid foodsand how to wean the baby.

In the past year, 202 mothers were enrolled in the Monroe MSUExtension Mother-to-Mother program. The majority of them enrolled in the program before their babies were born. Of those enrolled in the program, 96 percent initiated breastfeeding. This compares to 70 percent of all new mothers who initiate breastfeeding, according to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for the first year of an infant’s life for optimal health benefits. Research conducted by the CDC shows only 20 percent of infants are breastfed for a full year. Women enrolled in the Mother-to-Mother program exceed this average. Locally, 30 percent of mothers are still breastfeeding by the time their infantsare one-year-old.

The average duration for breastfeeding for mothers enrolled in the program is 22 weeks. This gives the infants a good start. Forty eight percent of mothers enrolled in the program are still breastfeeding when their baby is five months old, compared to only 26 percent of mothers in the general population,according to the 2007 Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance Survey. Mothers enrolled in the program often credit the education and support they receive from the breastfeeding program associates as making the difference in their breastfeeding experience.

In addition to having a positive impact on mothers and their infants, the Mother-to-Mother program also saves tax dollars. Ninety nine percent of the enrolled mothers are also enrolled in the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program.

Costs to support a breastfeeding mother in the WIC Program are about 55 percent of those for a formula-feeding mother. By encouraging mothers to initiate and sustain breastfeeding, the Mother-to-Mother program is having both positive health and economic impacts for local families.

Contact person: Brenda Reau