Seed treatments

[glowplug]

Michigan State University Extension educators in the Thumb and Saginaw Valley studied various soybean inputs individually and together in 2011. Soybeans were planted at three sites in the greater Thumb area. The variety NK S19-A6 was planted at one site and Pioneer 92Y51 was planted at two sites at a target population of 160,000 seeds per acre. The final plant count was 132,000 seeds per acre.

Treatments included an untreated check, a pop-up fertilizer treatment of Alpine 2-20-18 applied at 2 gallons per acre on the seed, a foliar fertilizer treatment of Wilbur Ellis NDemand –HIGHEND at 1 gallon per acre at the R3 growth stage, a foliar fungicide treatment of Headline applied at 10 ounces per acre at the R3 growth stage, and a final treatment that received the same pop-up fertilizer, foliar fertilizer at R3, and fungicide at R3 treatments.

Soybean yields with “All Treatments” and the fungicide treatment yielded significantly higher than the untreated check. There was no significant difference between the fungicide-treated soybeans and the foliar fertilizer-treated soybeans. There was no significant difference between the foliar fertilizer and the untreated check, and there was no significant difference between the pop-up fertilizer and the untreated check.

This study did not answer whether the significant difference in the “All Treatments” treatment was due to fungicide alone, or a synergism of the treatments working together. The study will be modified and repeated in 2012 to better determine which treatments attributed to the yield increase.

See the following table for yield and statistical analysis information.

Treatment
Moisture (%)
Test Weight
Yield (bu./a.)
Sig

All Treatments
19.3
57.7
56.2
a

Headline Fungicide
18.5
57.9
54.6
ab

Foliar Fertilizer
18.0
58.0
52.7
bc

Untreated Check
17.9
57.9
51.8
c

Pop Up Fertilizer
18.2
57.9
51.3
c

Average
18.4
57.9
53.3


LSD @ 0.05


1.9


C.V. %


4.3

[Dave-ECIA]

That parallels my experience, but I've been playing with the new inoculant/growth promoters.

The biggest bang for the buck this year was seed treated fungicide/Vault/foliar fungicide at R2. Insecticide didn't add enough, neither did the foliar fertilizer this year. Other years, foliar fert has paid about 3bu/ac. Long term average, foliar fert is still ahead of the game, as is foliar fungicide. Just started looking at the inoculant/growth promoters this year so I don't have a history on those.

I'll post the results when I get everything averaged together.

[peelergtfb]

We have tried lots of different things to try and increase bean yields and can't get a response at all let alone a consistant one. I think I'm going to give up and plant untreated beans save my money at least till something else promising comes along

[wheatfarmer]

Would like to see these studies give a cost/benifit ratio. Such as how much money was spent for application vs $ amount of improved yeild. many of the studies I see never seem to look at the net $ improvement, only the bushels added. I like less bushels if I get a better net, which is possible when looking at varying rates of fertilizer.

[Dave-ECIA]

Wheat, thanks for the reminder. I'll include total cost (including application) when I post the results.

[glowplug]

Wheat,

Costs me approx. $8 per acre applied (not sure where 2012 futures will land but let's say you need one bu. protected to pass break even). That is Accelleron with Optimize together.

Value to me is planting 140,000 seeds/a instead of the old days when 200,000 was common in getting a good stand. (15" rows using an 11 row brush meter JD 7000 interplant I built).
Early May soil up here in the frozen tundra is cold, wet, trash conditions. Maybe some years with a non-typical fast warm up, I didn't need the seed treatment? But it is insurance.