What’s good for crops is not always good for the environment. Nitrogen, a key nutrient for plants, can cause problems when it leaches into water supplies.

Variety selection is one of the best ways to manage iron-deficiency chlorosis (IDC) problems in soybeans. IDC symptoms include yellowing between the veins of the trifoliate leaves and can result in growing-point death. With precision planting and global positioning systems, it is may be possible in the future to plant two different varieties on the same field.