Disease, Insects & Flooding Affect Louisiana Soybean Numbers

by Don Molino, Voice of Louisiana Agriculture Radio Network

LSU Soybean Specialist Dr. Ronnie Levy at the Dean Lee Research Station just south of Alexandria says the 2016 yields won't be setting any records this season.

"We're probably going to be close to that 50 bushel per acre mark, between 45 and 50, somewhere in there," said Levy.

"We had a lot of good beans in northeast Louisiana that weren't affected quite as bad by the weather conditions," Levy continued. "When you don't harvest them then they're not counted into the yields."

Growers also had problems with insects and disease pressure during the 2016 growing season.

"Probably the biggest problem right now," said Levy, "is the red banded stink bug. They've been just terrible for the past couple of years, but this year they caused lot of the damage that most producers saw in their fields."

But another problem also cropped up.

"We also had a lot of Cercospora leaf blight, the very devastating disease, depending on when it comes in," said Levy.

"And because of those (weather) conditions we usually saw more disease and that was the case with those that went through the stress of those excessive rains."

(This report is a service of the Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board)