There is concern among soybean producers that micronutrient deficiencies and foliar diseases are causing yield reductions in Michigan. As such, there is a tendency among soybean producers to apply supplemental nutrient sources and fungicides even without sound experimental evidence to support these practices. In 2015, a farmer was interested in testing the effectiveness of a foliar spray containing Prudent Presto Red Label (6-18-5) plus boron (0.25 percent),manganese (1 percent), humic acids (0.01 percent) microbial fermentation extract (0.01 percent) and the fungicide Priaxor in a tank-mixed application. This Michigan State University Extension research trial consisted of three treatments: T1 – check treatment with [...]

A 2014 on-farm research trial in Perry, Michigan, showed that foliar-applied manganese and sulfur were not effective in increasing nutrient uptake and soybean yield. There is concern among soybean producers that manganese (Mn) and sulfur (S) deficiencies are causing yield reductions in Michigan. As such, there is a tendency among soybean producers to apply supplemental nutrient sources on most fields even without experimental evidence to support this practice. On-farm research conducted in Perry, Michigan, in the past two years showed that supplemental Mn and S applied at planting as a starter fertilizer was not effective in increasing soybean yield. [...]