Best Practices For Soybean Scouting

Jul 29, 2015

From United Soybean Board

Proper crop scouting provides invaluable information farmers can use to make informed decisions to protect yield and quality in their fields. Getting that information requires a plan for how and when to monitor your fields.

Before entering the field, it’s important to have a plan. Farmers are encouraged to map out their route in a way that provides coverage of all field zones, usually in a zigzagging or M-shaped pattern.

It’s generally recommended that scouts observe and take detailed records of environmental conditions, pests, diseases, weeds, crop-growth progress and the overall health of the crop. Reference materials or online resources can help farmers identify pests and crop abnormalities they may not recognize on their own.

“If a grower sees something in the field that they can’t identify, they can always send a photo or sample to an extension agent for help,” says University of Minnesota Extension Entomologist Bob Koch, Ph.D. “I usually recommend that growers carry a hand lens to help them see small pests, a sweep net to aid in the collection of samples and a smartphone or camera to take photos.”

Determining scouting frequency is usually dependent on the time of year, weather and pest populations. If a potential problem does pop up, farmers should check all their fields before assuming the issue is widespread or requires an immediate response.

Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.