Soybean Summit Q&A with Dr. Shawn Conley
Dr. Shawn Conley’s virtual Soybean Summit session held on Wednesday, February 10, discussed how changes in soybean physiology have influenced soybean yield potential. Conley also walked through the growing season and discussed the interaction of inputs with soybean growth stage and calculated the role that soybean phenology plays in overall yield response. Below are questions from audience members and his responses to their inquiries. Q: If we can go down to 80K plants/acre and still have 98% yield, should we only be planting at 100K plants/acre initially? Save on seed cost? - Neil Stoller, Akron Services, Inc. A: I [...]
Boots on the Ground: Validation of Benchmarking Process through an Integrated On-Farm Partnership
This article was originally published on the Cool Bean website by Dr. Shawn Conley and team. Team: Dr. Shawn P. Conley (Principal Co-Investigator) University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI Dr. Patricio Grassini (Principal Co-Investigator) University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE OH Laura Lindsey Ml Maninderpal Singh IA Scott Nelson ND Hans Kandel MN Seth Naeve NE Keith Glewen In A Bean Pod: The improved management treatment netted soybean producers an average of 5 bu/ac yield increase and $51/ac additional profit Growers should consider improving their soybean management by fine tuning planting date, maturity group, seeding rate, and foliar fungicide and insecticide [...]
On Farm Soybean Research: Planting Dates Study
The University of Wisconsin is leading a regional planting date study. The goal is to compare the yield and profit for earlier planting dates. Earlier planting dates generally have higher yields than later planted soybean. What is needed from collaborators? Plant soybeans at two planting dates, using a similar plot layout shown below Planting dates: Last week of April or as soon as conditions allow and two to three weeks later Harvest the plot using a well calibrated yield monitor Provide the data and management information to us Geographic area of interest Looking specifically for fields shown in the [...]
The Soybean Seeding Rate Conundrum
In a bean-pod… Use a soybean seed treatment Plant less than 140,000 seeds in white mold areas Target a final stand of 100,000+ plants in productive fields Target a final stand of 135,000+ plants in low productivity fields or areas within fields Soybean seeding rate is one of the most heavily debated and frankly, in my humble opinion, the most overthought agronomic decision we make in soybean. As a general rule of thumb I recommend farmers purchase a bag of seed per acre (140,000 seed count) and plant that entire bag per acre (140,000 seeds) (Figure 1). Remember your [...]
Are Your Soybeans Nodulating?
Non-nodulating soybeans in 2015, in 2016 and again in 2017. I have received a deluge (pun intended) of questions regarding the overall lack of soybean nodulation and general pale green coloration of the crop. As a doctor—a Ph. D.—I prescribe less rain and sunshine. Call me in two weeks if the problem still exists. Outside of obvious weather-related issues, here are the four most common questions I have received and my responses: 1. Why is nodulation such a problem this year? Abiotic stress such as low pH (≤ 6.0), saturated or droughty soils and cool soil temperatures can negatively [...]
Best Management Practices for Growing Second Year Soybeans
Before we start, we fully acknowledge our title “Best management practices for growing second year soybeans” is a bit misleading as we do not advocate this practice (its not a BMP!) but we thought we could sucker you into reading this article if it had an enticing title! Our main reason for writing this article stems from growers questioning their 2017 bottom line. This issue was highlighted in the article written by Gary Schnitkey and Darrel Good entitled 2017 Crop Budgets and Current Prices Say Switch to Soybeans and Expect Low Returns. It is thought that farmers may plant [...]
New Traits Don’t Automatically Translate to Highest Yield!
Last week’s announcement by the EPA to register Dicamba formulations for use on Dicamba Tolerant Crops has the soybean world abuzz and for once that buzz isn’t about pollinators! Many of my weed scientist colleagues across the country will be discussing best management practices (BMP’s) for introducing this technology into our agricultural landscape and will put forward recommendations to prolong the shelf-life of this technology. Here is one such example from UNL entitled: Understanding the Roundup Ready 2 Xtend SoybeanWeed Management System. ***Side bar….I decided to highlight this article since UNL never has any highlights in WI and Purdue [...]
Plant & Soil: Soybean Management Strategies to Facilitate Timely Winter Wheat Establishment
Winter wheat acres across WI have declined over the past few years due to high corn and soybean prices and late grain harvests. As farmers get ready to kick off the 2015 growing season here are a few suggestions to help get your 2016 winter wheat crop established on time. Plant early. If weather and soil conditions allow for it plant the acreage you intend to go to winter wheat first. This is regardless of which crop you plan to follow (soybean, corn silage or field corn). Remember the optimal planting date window for most of our WI winter [...]
Plant & Soil Health: Using Inoculants in a Corn-Soybean Rotation
Although the air is 79 percent di-nitrogen (N2), soybean plants without Bradyrhizobium japonicum are unable to utilize this nitrogen source. The soybean plant provides nutrients (carbohydrates and minerals) and a protective growing environment for the rhizobia. In turn, the rhizobia “fix” atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia (NH3), which can then be used by the soybean plant. B. japonicum is specific to soybean and will not fix nitrogen in any other legume. Likewise, the rhizobial species that fix nitrogen for alfalfa or other legumes will not nodulate and fix nitrogen on soybean. For this relationship to exist and benefit both soybean and B. [...]
Agronomics: Harvest Considerations for Variable Soybean Maturity
Variable soil types, knolls, flooding and drought have left many growers with extreme in-field variability of soybean maturity. There are areas in fields where the soybean seed is 13% or less moisture adjacent to areas with green seed. The prevailing question is “When should the grower harvest?” Obviously there is no simple answer, as each field is different. However here are a set of guidelines to consider: The easiest answer is harvest the field at two different times. Take what is dry today and come back in two weeks and harvest the rest. The challenge with this approach is [...]
and then