Argus Murmurings: Argentina FX change will support exports to US

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Organic soybean imports in March 2025 were estimated at 19,600 MT, down 31pc from the same month in the prior year. Ukraine supplied 16,000 MT and Canada supplied the remaining 3,600t. 

The Argus AgriMarkets Organic and non-GMO service weekly delivered spot price for feed-grade organic soybeans delivered to the U.S. Corn Belt for the week ended April 17, 2025, was $20.29/bushel, which is up $0.15 from a month prior and $0.81 from a year prior.  

The devaluation of the Argentinean peso will make Argentinean organic soybeans more price-competitive in the U.S., market contacts said. The devaluation of the peso will make Argentinean imports cheaper for U.S. buyers and Argentinian farmers will receive more pesos per dollar. 

There are little-to-no-remaining stocks of old crop organic soybeans remaining in Argentina, but the devaluation will affect new crop sales, market contacts said. New crop sales so far were below historical levels because of buyers hesitating to lock in volume before there was more certainty on tariffs. Lower buying activity from typical U.S. importers could leave more organic soybeans to be purchased by other importers. 

Shipments of new crop organic soybeans will begin in June, market contacts said. Argentinean farmers increased their organic soybean acreage because of the low profitability of organic corn. A drought earlier in the season did damage the crop, but yields are expected to be close to historical levels. 

IP Crop Network – April Report

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To those in agriculture, spring is like a breath of fresh air; a clean slate to nurture and grow the next crop that will feed the world. SSGA’s IP Crop Network will be published twice a month, highlighting growing conditions for identity preserved crops from different regions around the country. The reports include both first-hand accounts and data from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) weekly Crop Progress reports. 

There has been very little planting in North Dakota. A small amount of small grains have been planted, including 10% of spring wheat. Three percent of sugar beets have been planted, slightly below the five-year average.  

Planting in Minnesota is just ramping up, too, with 3% of soybeans planted and 9% of corn planted. Several farmers in various locations around the state planned to start planting this week. 62% of topsoil and 53 of subsoil has adequate moisture. 

In northwest Wisconsin, soil conditions are quite dry and cool. There have been some early small grains seeded but very little corn or soybean planting has happened. Fertilizer is being broadcast and some light tillage on fields that are fit to be on. Sub-soil conditions are very dry. 

In southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, there are some reports of food-grade soybeans being planted. Ground temperatures are slightly low but as temperatures rise this week, a significant increase in planting activity should follow.  

The southern third of Illinois is very wet. Some planting is occurring on dry ridges and sand, but overall, 10% of the state’s soybeans are planted and 7% of corn is planted. Growers in eastern Illinois reported fast and furious planting of soybeans in the last several days. One eager grower in eastern Illinois planted a small amount of soybeans in mid-March, but with too much moisture, the beans only just emerged a few days ago.  

There are just a few fields of soybeans planted in Michigan at this time. Most fields are a little wet and temperatures are cold. There is rain in the weather forecast but also warmer temperatures. Many growers are hopeful to begin planting the last week of April but will wait for good conditions.  

Growers will continue to monitor conditions and will eagerly begin planting as soon as their fields are ready. Stay tuned for more updates from SSGA throughout the growing season.  View the entire NASS report from April 21 here. 

FIRST seed trial results now available

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The results from 2024 Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (FIRST) Trials are now available at www.firstseedtests.com. Corn trials averaged 231 bushels per acre across all locations, beating the old record by 6 bushels. Soybeans averaged 62.3 bushels per acre, surpassing the old record by 0.4 acres.

The results are also available to order in a printed booklet at this link: https://stores.inksoft.com/firstseedtests/shop/home. The Corn Grain and Soybean booklets are $5.95 each plus shipping with bulk quantity discounts available.

FIRST provides timely unbiased comparisons of innovative seed genetics to improve yield and profitability for American corn and soybean farmers. The testing program compares corn and soybean seed product yield and agronomic performance in grower fields in more than 500 tests across 16 states. Products are planted at five or six corn test locations and four soybean locations within a region. FIRST results are reported on its website for each individual test site and as a regional average over all sites in the region within two days of harvest.

Weed control in soybeans: How to win the battle in 2024

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By David Kee, SSGA Agronomy action team Staff Lead/Director of Research, Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council

Herbicide resistant weeds have taken the stage in the continued doom and gloom stories from the popular press. However, those articles forget that weed control is – and always has been – a constant battle in agriculture. I remember stories from my grandfather of a 12-year-old boy thinking the 1916 battlefields of Europe couldn’t be any worse than “choppin’ cotton” in the sweat-soaked environment of a mid-July east Texas cotton field.

At one time, quackgrass was one of the primary weeds in short stature crops (soybeans, etc.), as it was, and still is, extremely tolerant of any mechanical weed control method. Modern weed control efforts have reduced its impact, but that doesn’t mean quackgrass has gone away. It is just under control using our current technology. Literature from the 1960s indicates waterhemp was a minor weed problem; today, it is a major headache for identity preserved (IP) producers.

What is the take-home message? Weed control is always evolving. Proper identification of the problem and providing an adaptable management program are critical to success. A good manager starts with the basics, and then develops a creative solution to that ever-independent world called “their farm.”

What are the basics?

  1. Scout in the fields. Know your fields, know your crop and know your weeds. Assess the fields for weeds, and other problems, as often as possible. There is no such thing as excessive effective crop scouting. However, ineffective scouting wastes time, money, energy and effort.
  2. Effectively change management. Rotate crops, rotate chemistry, add some forms of mechanical weed control and include cover crops. Don’t do the same thing every time, as that will allow some pest to evolve around a management system.
  3. Scout the perimeter of your fields. Look beyond your field. Are there weeds in the ditches, along the fence line, on your tractor tire, in your combine? Institute effective sanitation activities, mow the buffer area enough times to prevent problem weed from going to seed, amp up the weed control efforts on those rows bordering weed infested areas.
  4. Be effective. Develop and institute an effective weed control program, use both pre and post-emergent herbicides at full recommend rates in a system that rotates Sites of Action (SOA). Remember, Muhammad Ali hit his opponent everywhere, not just on the chin. You have to change up the punches to keep taking out those weeds. Think both strategically and tactically; creative effectiveness becomes critical for success.
  5. Scout for future years. Look back at what you’ve done; think about what you will be doing. Sometimes the best place to scout is at your desk reading your farm diary and contemplating your next step. Ask if your management program worked? If not, why not? What needs to be done next? Scout after canopy closure, the canopy will open again after growth stage 7 as the crop matures, waterhemp and other season-long germinating weeds will pop up and require control efforts.
  6. Be persistent. Weed control is not a once-a-year activity. There is always more than one species of weeds present, weed seed germination is complex and often unpredictable. To be effective over the long run, adopting a zero-tolerance goal will go a long way toward keeping a grower on top of the problem. Keep a diary of activities, review it often and ask yourself if you are being effective? What can be done better? What are you giving up by not controlling any pest at certain times? No decision is trivial and should be approached in a logical manner. Knee-jerk reactions tend to be ineffective.

As with any management program, the basics are just that: the basics. A one-size-fits-all program usually results in a poorly fitted suit. Educate yourself. Use the Take Action on Weeds website developed by the United Soybean Board and weed scientists from 10 states. It provides you with a bounty of information on weed species, herbicide modes of action and will help you create an herbicide plan of action for your farming operation.

The program you develop should be tailored to your individual operation. Talk with Extension, other farmers, your local crop consultant and any other professional whose judgement you trust and develop an effective solution for your operation. Then change it up somewhat from year to year. To be effective, you must evolve as the weeds evolve.