The Farmer's Daughter USA

Hi, I'm Amanda! My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm also a practicing attorney.

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Work with Me
    • Speaking
    • Giveaways
    • Social Media Consulting
    • Sponsored and Guest Posts
  • About Me
    • Media
    • Terms of Use

Farming Fridays!

September 12, 2014

White Mold

Last week we discussed Sudden Death Syndrome, so this week I decided to continue talking about problems that farmers face with a soybean crop. On Sunday, we drove past a few fields on the way to church that have been hit by what’s called white mold. Once we changed into more field appropriate clothing, dad went with me to a neighbor’s farm to get a closer look at the sick plants.
The brown patch in the top middle is actually soybean plants that have been hit by white mold.

This spring and summer were particularly cool. Although we had some dry spells, it was also wet or damp. As you can imagine, just like other molds, white mold tends to favor those conditions. The mold, which officially is called Sclerotinia stem rot, thrives in cool damp fields. The symptoms from the mold usually show up in July and August. The disease will start with just a single plant here and there where the leaves will wilt and die. Eventually, the entire plant will die.
As you can see from the photos, a bean crop tend to create somewhat of a canopy with their leaves. Beneath the leaves, where it is protected and shaded by the sun, it can remain damp. Again, it creates a favorable environment for the mold.

Although it is a little hard to see on the above picture, there are actually “clumps” of white stuff on the stem of the dead plant. As you can imagine, the mold can really hit yields. Once the plant dies, it isn’t going to allow the soybeans to fully mature and (obviously) it won’t create any new ones.
Currently, the best management for the mold is just stopping it from getting into the field in the first place. In fact, farmers are usually advised not to harvest a field containing white mold before harvesting a field that does not have it. The spores can actually get on the equipment and be transferred from one field to the next.
Soybean plant with white mold.
Some seed companies promote bean varieties that are better equipped to resist the mold, but there are currently no beans available that are completely resistant to it. There are also some fungicides that are available, but won’t necessarily control all of it or eliminate it from the field.
The other difficulty is that some methods for increasing soybean yields can also be a boost to the mold. For example, although planting in narrow rows with high seed populations can increase yields for soybeans, such planting methods also increase the likelihood that the mold will spread. The more soybeans that are planted closer together, the thicker the canopy will be.
Further, the mold can live in the soil for up to 10 years, so crop rotation does not necessarily help unless farmers can keep that land productive in other crops for a decade. Many types of weeds are also good hosts for white mold and can spread the spores even when soybeans aren’t planted in the fields. However, rotating with plants that are not susceptible to the mold can at least help cut down on the number of mold spores in the field and reduce future incidents in soybeans.
If you’d like to learn more about white mold, check out my sources at Purdue Extension, Pioneer, and Crop Production Services.

signature
Share this:
«
»

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: education, farming fridays, farming pictures, science, seeds, soybeans

Farming Fridays!

July 12, 2013

Crop Insurance

First things first: the corn. As you can see it is getting a lot taller (can you spot my little red flag?):

Otherwise, dad has been working on his “maps.” Each year the Farm Service Agency and our crop insurance provider give us a bunch of maps with the farms on them. Think Google Maps, except black and white. Dad has to go through and make sure all the acres are correct. Unfortunately, the two groups give us different maps of the same fields, so it can be a little bit of a headache. 
But, essentially, if dad wants help with the crop insurance premiums, we have to supply the information to the FSA. The FSA then uses the maps to check out all of our land and make sure we’re complying with regulations (you knew there had to be a catch). This is the trade off — we get help with premiums, but they now micromanage the farm. 
Put it this way: they can even tell if we remove a tree on the farm. Of course, this prompts a whole series of investigations and questions as to whether or not we were allowed to remove the tree. (And, yes, this is happening this year.)
So we’ve been in the middle of this process the past couple weeks. Our house has black and white maps strewn about. Seriously.
By the way, did you know if you click on the little “tag” under the post that says “Farming Fridays” you can bring up every Farming Fridays post? You can also click on the link on the right hand side that will take you to the Farming Fridays Diary! Nice way to catch up or look back to see just how far the corn has come in a few short weeks!
signature
Share this:
«
»

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: corn, crop insurance, farm subsidies, farming fridays, farming pictures, federal government

Farming Fridays!

April 12, 2013

Under Water

We all know the old adage that farmers are never happy with the weather, but let this be a lesson that the weather actually really does effect what we do! 
Yep, that’s our tractor and disk. In the flooded field. Not doing anything. 
I know, last summer we were all desperate for rain, but now we need it to stop raining so we can actually get in the field! Not to mention the cool temperatures have apparently set the fruit trees back at least a week. 
Meanwhile, our planter is stuck in the barn getting worked on. 
Hope you enjoyed the wet, rainy week! 🙂
signature
Share this:
«
»

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: corn, farming fridays, farming pictures

Hi, I'm Amanda. My family farms corn and soybeans in Southwest Michigan. I'm an attorney and I'm passionate about agriculture!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe via Email

Archives

Latest on Facebook

The Farmer's Daughter

2 weeks ago

The Farmer's Daughter

My latest for AGDAILY is an early take on how Brookes Rollins work at the helm of USDA.

... See MoreSee Less

Is Rollins delivering for family farmers? A report card on her USDA work | AGDAILY

www.agdaily.com

Brooke Rollins is off to a mixed start: she moved quickly to address the avian flu crisis, but she has failed to stand up for farmers against the MAHA movement.

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

The Farmer's Daughter

2 months ago

The Farmer's Daughter

You can't and won't make America healthy by blaming and hindering our family farmers.

... See MoreSee Less

MAHA Report delivers scathing assessment of farm pesticides | AGDAILY

www.agdaily.com

The new MAHA report, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., links pesticides to rising childhood illness, already drawing criticism from farm groups.

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

The Farmer's Daughter

2 months ago

The Farmer's Daughter

Do you a plan for your estate? My latest for AGDAILY focuses on potential changes to the federal estate tax.

... See MoreSee Less

Perspective: A farmer's legacy shouldn't be a tax nightmare for their kin

www.agdaily.com

For farm families, estate taxes aren’t just an abstract policy debate -- they’re a very real threat to generational farms and the livelihoods they support.

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

The Farmer's Daughter

2 months ago

The Farmer's Daughter

If nothing else, this should keep you up at night. Every snake oil salesman is now in charge of HHS.

... See MoreSee Less

How RFK Jr. Is Boosting ‘Food Babe’ and Other MAHA Acolytes

www.wsj.com

The health and human services secretary has elevated lightly regulated wellness companies and allowed advisers to keep investments, after vowing to end conflicts of interest.

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

The Farmer's Daughter

2 months ago

The Farmer's Daughter

These concepts aren't mutually exclusive.

... See MoreSee Less


Photo

View on Facebook

·
Share



Share on Facebook



Share on Twitter



Share on Linked In



Share by Email

Latest on Instagram

Amanda Zaluckyj

thefarmersdaughterusa

Amanda | The Farmer's Daughter USA
I'm a proud farmer's daughter & advocate for modern agriculture. U.S. farmers are leaders in sustainability.

Perusing my photos from #Denmark and getting the i Perusing my photos from #Denmark and getting the itch to travel again.
These concepts aren't mutually exclusive. #farms # These concepts aren't mutually exclusive. #farms #farmfamily #environment #soilhealth #nutritiousfood
Stop worrying about labels and just eat them! Stop worrying about labels and just eat them!
Corn is a powerhouse! #corn #farming #growcorn # Corn is a powerhouse! 

#corn #farming #growcorn #USAGrown #usagriculture
Happy St. Patrick's Day! 🍀 Happy St. Patrick's Day! 🍀
The blood moon. 🌙 And proof I woke up at 2:15 a The blood moon. 🌙 And proof I woke up at 2:15 am to see it!
3 years. 💔 #slavaukraini #supporukraine #ukrai 3 years. 💔

#slavaukraini #supporukraine #ukraine #glorytoukraine🇺🇦
Mischa will not suffer a snowman in her yard. ❄️☃️

#dogslife #dogsofinstagram #blacklab #pittiemix #snowday #snowman
We all know RFK, Jr. is well known for vaccine dis We all know RFK, Jr. is well known for vaccine disinformation. But he's also a danger to agriculture, even promising to "weaponize" regulatory agencies against our farm families.

#rfk #farmersdaughter #farmers #conspiracytheories #puremichiganfarm #rfkjr
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2025 · Website Design By Jumping Jax Designs