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Features
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Soybeans
101
[JULY
2, 2001] After
the short course on corn, it is only fitting to provide a brief
description of soybeans. Most people know what a soybean seed looks
like. It is round and has two halves. These halves will later become
the cotyledons (seed leaves). The hilum is the seed scar where the
seed was attached to the pod, much like a pea. The embryo of the
plant is attached between the two seed halves.
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The
germination process is triggered when adequate moisture is available
to swell the seed and the temperatures are generally over 60 degrees
in the soil. The soybean is quite different than corn in that the
cotyledons (seed halves) are actually raised out of the soil by the
shoot as it grows longer. The cotyledons provide food for the young
plant until leaves provide food through photosynthesis.
After
the cotyledons, a pair of unifoliate leaves comes out. The growing
point of the soybean plant is the top part of the plant and always
exposed. After the unifoliate leaves, the trifoliate leaves begin to
emerge. These are the leaves that have the regular three leaflets
that will make the food for the plant and seed for the remainder of
the growing season.
Soybeans
bloom based on the length of the night. This means that the earlier
varieties begin in late June and the other varieties commonly grown
in our area will follow within the next 10 days or so. Most soybeans
grown in the Midwest are of the indeterminate variety, which means
they will continue to bloom and add leaves until they begin to die.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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Many
of our soybean fields will have only about 25 percent of the flowers
actually develop into pods and produce seed. Most plants in a field
will have 30 to 100 pods on them, with two to three seeds per pod.
One way we estimate yield is to figure four bean seeds per square
foot equals a bushel.
Soybean
plants normally ripen in the months of September and October,
depending on the maturity of the plants used. Most maturities in our
area are either Group 2 or Group 3 varieties. Normal yields are from
40 to 60 bushels per acre, depending on variety, fertility,
management and weather. The weather is the big factor each year in
determining yields.
[John
Fulton]
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Lincoln
FFA members receive recognition at state convention
[JUNE
18, 2001] Members
of the Lincoln FFA chapter participated in activities at the 73rd
annual Illinois State FFA Convention at the Prairie Capital
Convention Center June 12-14. Attending from the Lincoln chapter
were Emily Bakken, Jackie Bakken, Monica Short, Amanda Davison and
John Davison.
The
sessions included award presentations, speaking contests, ag fairs
and addresses by retiring state officers. Emily, Jackie and Amanda
also participated in electing the new major state officers on
Wednesday night.
Jackie
Bakken was installed as the 2001-2002 Section 14 president.
The
Lincoln group received an award for being a bronze sponsor chapter.
John
Davison and Breeann Werth received their state degrees, while Brett
Conrady and Betsy Bakken were recognized for achieving the American
Degree, which they will receive at the national convention at
Louisville, Ky., October.
Sean
Rawlins, Sara Conklen and Matt Davison received plaques for being
finalists in the Growmark essay contest.
Congratulations
to all FFA members who received honors at the convention.
[Lincoln
FFA news release]
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Corn
101
A short
course in corn plant development
By John
Fulton
[JUNE
11, 2001] Ever
wonder how a corn plant grows and develops during the season? Well,
here is my attempt at a "crash course" to bring you up to
date.
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Farmers
start with a seed. A viable seed. This seed contains many parts that
are all important. When moisture is available for the seed, the
kernel absorbs the moisture, and that triggers enzyme systems in it
which digest and move nutrients in the seed into the developing
embryo. Growth begins with the emergence of the radicle (root) from
the kernel. The plumule (shoot portion) also begins to grow. Once it
gets out of the seed, this is called the coleoptile. It usually
takes six to 10 days for the tip of this coleoptile to reach the
soil surface.
The
seedling root system will actually help feed the young corn plant
until it gets to be about 15-18 inches tall. At this time corn will
normally take a "pause" as the root system switches over
to the one that will feed it for the remainder of the growing
season.
Corn
will have a new leaf emerge about every three days. A fully grown
corn plant will generally have 18-21 leaves. About five weeks after
emergence, the plant will have all of its parts developed. This
would include the leaves, ear, bud and tassel. This would also be
the time when we can see about 10 leaves on the plant.
About
a month from now, it will be very easy to find the ear shoots, and a
plant will often develop about seven of these. One or two are all
that usually develop, but the others are present in case something
happens to the main shoot. The ear shoot is usually about six nodes
below the tassel (around the 13th leaf on a plant).
[to top of second column in
this article]
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The
tassel will come out about 63 days after corn emergence; then the
true reproductive stages of corn begin. Silk starts from the ear
about six days later, with the silk coming out first from large
kernels at the base. The tip kernels come out last. As pollen shed
from the tassel hits the silk, it goes down the silk to fertilize
each kernel individually. A corn ear may have 700-1,000 kernels on
it in an even number of rows.
Corn
is truly mature about 131 days after it emerges. After this point it
just takes about 10 more days before harvest usually begins. Most
corn is mature at about 34 percent moisture and the rate of dry-down
is greatly affected by the corn hybrid and the weather. Most farmers
like to get corn in the lower 20s moisturewise before beginning
harvest, in order to avoid excessive cost to dry the crop down to
the 15 percent standard for corn.
Hopefully
this "short course" will give you a new appreciation and
understanding of the cornfields you drive by throughout the growing
season.
[John
Fulton]
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Honors
& Awards
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Hartem
FFA speaker is top in state
[JUNE
25, 2001] Kate
Wrage, of the Hartsburg-Emden FFA chapter, was named the state
winner in the prepared public speaking contest at the 73rd state FFA
convention. Her topic centered on biotechnology in crop production.
She advances to national competition, which will be in October. Kate
also was named the state winner in fruit/vegetable production and
will advance to regional competition as well. She was one of the top
10 chapter presidents and also received her state FFA degree.
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The
Hartem group was recognized as a Silver Emblem chapter for their
program of activities. The chapter was the Section 14 winner in the
Illinois Farm Bureau Heritage and Cooperative Activities programs.
As the Heritage winner, Hartem FFA member Anthony Jones will
represent the chapter and section on an all-expense-paid trip to
Washington, D.C., later this summer. The chapter was also recognized
for collecting over $2,000 for the 2000 FFA Foundation drive. Other
recognitions included the Sweepstakes and Century Challenge Awards.
Hartem
FFA member Natalie Coers was a participant in the state FFA band
during the convention.
The
following Hartem FFA members also attended the state convention:
Shane Westen, Anthony Jones, Jacob Klokkenga, Kyle Hoerbert, Matt
Wrage, Nick Alberts, Kory Leesman and student teacher Nathan Sasse.
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![](../images/062501pics/Hart-Emd%20FFA%20group.jpg)
[State
Proficiency Award winner in fruit/vegetable production is Kate Wrage.
Pictured, left to right, are parents Kurt and Lisa Wrage, state FFA
secretary Renee Mettler, Kate Wrage and Hartem FFA adviser Betsy
Pech.]
![](../images/062501pics/Hart-Emd%20FFa.jpg)
[Kate Wrage,
state winner in prepared public speaking, and her FFA adviser, Betsy
Pech.]
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4-H’ers
receive Kiwanis honors
[JUNE
25, 2001] The
Lincoln Kiwanis club honored representatives from seven 4-H clubs on
June 19.
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Each
year Kiwanis honors outstanding members nominated by 4-H club
leaders, and the overall winner this year was John Davison of the
Wide-A-Wake Club. He received the Armin Fricke Award.
Other
club winners were Brook Wibben, Marty Oltmanns, Andrew Fulton, Aaron
Uphoff, Jeff Jones and Heather Osborn.
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![](../images/062501pics/kiwani~1.jpg)
[Winners
from the 4-H clubs were (left to right) Brook Wibben, Marty Oltmanns,
Andrew Fulton, John Davison and Aaron Uphoff. Not pictured were Jeff
Jones and Heather Osborn.]
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Ag
Announcements
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Conservation
field day planned
[JULY
9, 2001] The
Land of Lincoln Soil Savers
Club and the Logan County Soil and Water Conservation District are
co-sponsoring a field day on July 19.
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The
day’s activities will begin at 4 p.m. at the Dave Evans and Dan
Koons farm in Section 35 of Atlanta Township. People attending will
look at new stream-bank stabilization techniques being used on
Kickapoo Creek.
The
group will then drive to Atlanta, where Howard Brown, agronomist
with Growmark, will be the featured speaker for the evening. He will
give an update on what has happened this year and what can be
expected in the near future with regard to insects and disease.
A
pork chop dinner, provided by Blue Catering, will conclude the
evening. Reservations are $5 per person if made by July 12 and will
be refunded at the door. Reservations made after July 12 will cost
$10.
Call
the Soil and Water Conservation District office at (217) 732-2010,
Ext. 3 for further information and directions to the tour site.
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