By Joey Cornelis

In the rapidly evolving world of agriculture, staying informed about pest management and crop health is crucial for growers. Thankfully, the Crop Protection Network (CPN) can be a valuable resource to support farmers and crop consultants in effectively tackling challenges in soybean production.

The CPN represents land-grant Extension efforts from more than 40 U.S. states and Ontario and Quebec, Canada. All outputs from the CPN are collaborative efforts between Extension specialists, ensuring that the information is unbiased and research based. The CPN also produces pest-management information on several other row crops, such as alfalfa and corn.

The CPN provides access to the latest soybean pest-management research through many different avenues. These include expert publications on critical soybean issues, informative videos featuring Extension specialists, interactive tools designed to facilitate better decision-making in soybean production and more. They include the following:

Publications and research updates from experts. What’s the best way to manage phytophthora in soybean? Is there disease resistance to sudden death syndrome seed treatments? Experts from land-grant universities contribute their extensive knowledge, experience and research to create comprehensive articles on these topics and many others. Articles also feature the latest research findings, providing growers with the most current information on field crop pest management.

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Fungicide efficacy tables. Developed by a team of soybean disease experts, the CPN houses research-based efficacy ratings of fungicides for the control of soybean foliar and seedling diseases. These fungicide efficacy tables provide a rating of how well the listed fungicide products control respective diseases when applied optimally. The ratings are determined by field-testing the materials over multiple years and locations and are updated annually.

Disease severity and insect defoliation training. The Field Crop Disease and Insect Defoliation Severity tool helps agronomists, crop consultants, farmers and others more accurately estimate pest severity on corn and soybean tissue. When it comes to factors such as soybean insect defoliation, more accurate severity assessments mean improved crop protection management decisions. This saves money, time and pesticide. The tool offers training for soybean diseases, such as frogeye leaf spot, general disease severity, insect defoliation and more.

Crop Scout School videos. The Crop Scout School is a collection of e-lecture videos that offer a range of training such as scouting fundamentals, using new technology such as drones and scouting tips for specific soybean pests and diseases across various regions. These videos serve as excellent refresher courses for seasoned scouts or as training tools for new agricultural professionals. As with the other CPN resources, these videos are Extension-based and aid scouts and farmers in making the best crop-protection decisions.

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Earn CCA CEUs. The CPN promotes ongoing education by offering opportunities to earn certified crop adviser (CCA) continuing education units (CEUs). CCAs earn these credits by passing quizzes based on CPN content, which range from 0.5 to one credit each. With more than 80 quizzes available and the number expanding, this resource allows certified crop advisers to expand their knowledge and keep up with the evolving challenges faced in agriculture.

The CPN serves as a vital resource for soybean farmers and crop consultants to help make informed decisions that protect their crops and promote productivity. The collaborative efforts of Extension specialists ensure that all resources are credible and based on the latest research. As the agricultural sector continues to evolve, the CPN remains dedicated to supporting soybean farmers through it all.

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For crop-protection information, check out the extensive library the CPN has to offer at cropprotectionnetwork.org, or ask your local Extension specialist.

Cornelis is an Iowa State University integrated pest-management program specialist.