Welcome to MSSoy Notes

While I claim to know a few things about soybean production in Mississippi and the Midsouth, I do not profess to be an expert on any issue.  I believe I know a good deal about some of the production issues and practices, but there are many other researchers and extension specialists who may know just as much or more than I.  Let’s just say I have experience in researching some of the many production and management issues, and am familiar with many of the problems and issues that producers encounter as they attempt to produce a profitable crop on a consistent basis.  Thus, my goal is to use my experience, my knowledge of information sources, and my acquaintances with Midsouth soybean experts and leaders to present to you information that I believe to be accurate and reputable.

As you know, there is a wealth of information already available that is presented as hard and fast fact to help you produce a profitable soybean crop.  There are potentially four problems with some of this information.  First, some of it may not fit your specific production environment, or it is difficult to determine if it will fit your situation.  How can you determine if it does or does not?  Second, much of the information that is available is hard to find.  And you just may not have the time to search for what you need.  Third, some of the information that is available, especially on websites, may not in fact be as factual as it is purported to be.  How do you know whether it is or not?  Fourth, much of the information that is available to you may be out-of-date, or is not updated with the latest information.  How can you tell if it is the latest information on the subject of interest to you?

Now to my purpose and intent with this blog.  My goal is to search for and find pertinent, reputable, and recent information for each subject that I discuss, to summarize that information, and then to present to you a consensus of what it means in terms that hopefully will provide you with the answers you need.  I will search far and wide for facts that can be transposed to Mississippi and Midsouth conditions, and will call on specialists in the areas I discuss to provide their insight and knowledge.  My intent is to provide you with the best possible information that is supported by the most recent sound research and that can be linked to appropriate information sources for verification.

All of this sounds good, I hope, but I realize that I may miss some information or that some other agricultural practitioner may dispute my interpretation and/or summary of my findings.  Therefore, an important component of this blog will be your responses that may offer new information or a different opinion that is based on personal experiences or observations.  I welcome those responses, so direct them to larryheatherly@bellsouth.net and I will attempt to address them in a future issue of this blog.  Also, you are welcome to send queries about subjects that you want researched and discussed in this blog.

I thank you for the opportunity to be a part of the Mississippi and Midsouth soybean scene through this venue.  Hopefully this will prove to be a welcome addition to your catalog of information sources.