WATERLOO, NY — Soybean growers can increase yields through a
few improvements in management. Senior Soybean Educator Mike Staton with
Michigan State University Extension presented on the topic at the recent
Soybean & Small Grains Congress, hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension
Northwest NY Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Program.

Beginning with treated seeds can offer farmers a head start
on a bountiful harvest. Staton completed research in 2018 on ILeVO® seed
treatment. He found that the treatment boosted soybean yields by five bushels
per acre at two locations in 2016, by 2.1 bushels in one site in 2017 and by
1.9 bushels at one site in 2018.

“When all the locations were combined, ILeVO increased
soybean yields by 1.9 bushels per acre and income by $3.50 per acre,” he said.

The income per acre includes the additional cost of using
ILeVO.

A different seed trial in 2017 and 2018 used the same
variety and seed lot to help researchers fairly compare results, using “naked”
seeds for the control group. Farmers selected the seed treatments they wanted
to use. Complete seed treatments — fungicide mix and insecticide — were applied
at 20 of the 21 sites. The researchers encouraged participants to conduct the
trials in fields where they had experienced emergence problems or poor stands
previously.

“Seed treatment did make a difference for us,” Staton said.

Although one location broke even and two suffered losses of
.1 and 1.2 bushels, the average was 1.2 more bushels per acre.

“This is slightly below the average breakeven yield increase
for a basic fungicide mix and insecticide seed treatment,” Staton said. “Seed
treatment increased final stands by more than 7,000 plants per acre when all
sites were combined.”

Staton also presented research from 2016 through 2018 on
field rolling.

“Rolling at pre-emergence punches stones down in,” he said.
“Some think rolling is for making plants stronger. I’m rolling to get stones
down in.”

In his research project, six fields were involved in 2016,
seven in 2017 and four in 2018. The researchers encouraged producers to roll
their fields at the growth stages that best fit their operations. The most
common stage was pre-emergence. The first trifoliate “seemed to give the
biggest benefit,” Staton said.

Some chose the second trifoliate and those that chose the
third trifoliate typically found it was too late to offer any benefits.

An unrolled control field was included at 12 of the sites.
The researchers took final stand counts at 10 of the 17 sites.

Rolling at first trifoliate improved yields over the
unrolled control fields at two of the 13 sites and reduced yields at one
location.

“I don’t think we can count on a yield advantage with
rolling,” Staton concluded. “It’s a harvest advantage because of the stones,
but no financial advantage.”

Staton also presented research on his white mold fungicide
comparison trial, which looked at three treatments — Omega, Propulse and
untreated — at four locations in 2107 and three locations in 2018. Participants
applied both fungicides at the lowest recommended rate for white mold, 12 oz.
per acre for Omega and 6 oz. per acre for Propulse, at about one week after
first flower.

“All of the sites had a history of white mold,” Staton said.
“White mold incidence was heavy at two sites and moderate at one site and very
low at all other locations.”

The research indicated that fungicide increased yield
threefold at each site but one.

“But we do need to look at the price difference between
products,” Staton noted.

Staton stressed that timing of fungicide application makes a
difference in effectiveness. He recommends the Sporcaster app from Michigan
State, “which answers the questions, ‘Will you have mold?’ and ‘What’s the best
time to apply fungicide?’” Staton said.

Michigan State released the app in May 2018, which is
available from Apple or Google.

The app predicts the likelihood of white mold so farmers can
more accurately apply fungicide. They still need to scout fields to ensure that
their soybeans are at the ideal stage, between flowering and pod development.
Operators also need to reference the weather forecast for the next eight to 14
days when using Sporecaster.

“It’s a tool we need to continue to evaluate,” Staton said.

For more than 30 years, Mike Staton has worked as an
Extension educator for the University of Michigan and led on-farm research
projects.