Start strong to grow more soybeans

Transcription

1 Start strong to grow more soybeans In the coming months, you are going to hear and read about how Syngenta is focused on helping farmers integrate technology and management practices to grow more soybeans. Most growers recognize that soybeans have considerably higher yield potential than their actual experience, and they are hungry for tangible and credible production information. Integrating a combination of industry experts, products, innovation, service and support, Syngenta created an easy-to-follow management approach that divides successful soybean production into three distinct phases to help farmers grow more soybeans. As 2013 unfolds, we will continue to share soybean best management practices to help achieve maximum yield. This month will focus on the importance of starting strong. After all, success begins long before growers enter the field with equipment. While our January edition touched on the basics of starting strong, this month we will explore the following factors a bit closer: Variety selection and placement High performance seed treatments Nutrient management Planting early Row width and population Variety selection and proper placement of these highperformance varieties directly influence yield potential, so it s always best to start with elite genetics that have top-end yield potential. Additionally, growers should evaluate plant characteristics such as emergence, plant height, growth habit, soybean cyst nematode resistance, standability, sudden death syndrome, charcoal rot, brown stem rot and shatter resistance. Maturity also can have a huge influence on yield, and growers should incorporate as much diversity as their management will allow. Utilizing plant characteristics and maturity to match the right high-yielding variety to both a grower s management approach and field environment will go a long way toward driving soybean performance. High-performance seed treatments include some of the most modern and elite chemistries and have proven to be invaluable tools in crop management. Seed treatment products may seem like table stakes, but not all products are created equal. Some of the popular brands don t contain all of the components that a grower might expect to be included. A high performance seed treatment should include: 1. A comprehensive fungicide package for Pythium, Phytophthora, Fusarium and Rhizoctonia 2. Asystemic insecticide with very good solubility that s available to be taken up by the plant Growers also should consider including a nematicide capable of fully controlling nematodes, not just confusing them.

2 Bu/A Bu/A Premium treatment Standard treatment True high-performance seed treatments are more than just colorant. As illustrated here, some pathogens may not kill the plant outright. Instead, they nibble away at the roots and, ultimately, yield. Nutrient management is another pitfall that can keep a grower from achieving top yields. Many growers fertilize for corn and expect soybeans to fend for themselves. As a legume, they have a symbiotic relationship with rhizobium bacteria that end up supplying them with the majority of their Nitrogen (N) needs. But they actually have nutrient requirements that rival or exceed those of corn depending on the nutrient and the yield environment. For example, soybeans will remove more than twice the Phosphorus (P) per bushel and more than five times the potassium (K) per bushel as corn. Soybeans also prefer ph levels in the 6 to 6.8 range, so lime accordingly. Obviously, soybeans deserve a nutrient management plan of their own. Planting early is another component that is often overlooked. Let s examine data from our region, which bounds the Midwest s upper and southern regions: 75 Upper Midwest Yield Response of 4,437 Grower Strip Trials Summarized by Geography and Planting Date from Yield Response of 4,437 Grower Strip Trials Summarized by Southern region Geography and Planting Date from MN, ND, SD, WI, MI y = x x - 3E+06 R² = IA, IL, NE, IN y = x x 55-3E+06 R² = KS, y = x R² = Sou y = x R² = Apr 24-Apr 14-May 3-Jun 23-Jun 13-Jul Planting Date 25 4-Apr 24-Apr 14-May 3-Jun 23-Jun 13-Jul Planting Date Red: N.D., S.D., Minn., Wis., Mich. Blue: Iowa, Ill., Ind., Neb. Average ~2.5 bu/a lost per week if planted after May 25 Yield loss influenced mainly by growing season length Green: Kan., Mo., Ky. Red: South Higher variability as one moves south Yield loss influenced mainly by weather events As you can see, when a grower plants can be just as important as what a grower plants. Delayed planting can shorten the vegetative growth period, resulting in smaller plants, reduced node development, delayed canopy closure and decreased crop growth rates at flowering. Early planting, meanwhile, allows increased energy capture due to a lengthened photosynthesis period, formation of more vegetative nodes, earlier flowering and a lengthened reproductive period, in addition to longer seed filling duration. Occasionally, early planting can have a disadvantage (as we saw in 2012), but that s the rare exception. The trend is the earlier growers plant, the better. Row width and population can be subjective, but multiple studies demonstrate a +3 bu/a yield advantage for 15-inch rows over 30-inch rows. Interestingly, yield response to seeding rates for both 15- and 30-inch rows was similar. In other words, narrowing the row spacing demands only minimal seeding rate changes.

3 Yield (Bu/A) 65 Soybean Yield Response to Seeding Rate and Row Spacing Averaged Across 3 Site Years, K 140K 220K 60K Seeding Rate (X per acre) and Row Spacing 140K 220K For more information on how Syngenta can help farmers grow more soybeans and the latest soybean news from Syngenta, visit the one-stop location for everything soybean. Do corn fungicides make sense when the weather is dry? By Eric Tedford Syngenta Technical Product Lead Applying a fungicide when conditions are dry seems somewhat counterintuitive since fungal problems are typically associated with moisture. Despite the connection between moisture and fungi, the fact remains that growers have seen, and are continuing to see, yield benefits from Quilt Xcel fungicide under dry conditions. The 2012 growing season was a perfect opportunity to test the value of Quilt Xcel under dry conditions, as much of the Corn Belt struggled with drought. Quilt Xcel provided positive physiological benefits in plants to help them grow better, even under adverse weather conditions. Quilt Xcel allows plants to stay green longer, as well as to utilize water more efficiently by reducing plants transpiration rate (loss of water through stomates, or natural openings in the plant). This doesn t mean you can grow plants in the desert after all, they still need water to survive and grow but it does mean that when water is limited and plants are stressed, Quilt Xcel helps them better recognize their genetic yield potential. Andrew Fisher, product lead for fungicides at Syngenta, and I walked many fields across the Corn Belt in 2012 and saw firsthand many of the benefits that corn growers who used Quilt Xcel were experiencing. Yield benefits from Quilt Xcel applications have been fairly consistent over the past three years. In 2012, many growers tried

4 Quilt Xcel Quilt Xcel applications early (V4-V8) for the first time. There were 80, 39 and 10 trials in which Quilt Xcel was applied at V4-V8, R1 or both timings, respectively. Even though 2012 was an extremely dry year, the yield benefits from Quilt Xcel were numerically higher than the previous two years. This demonstrates the physiological stress management benefits that plants get from Quilt Xcel fungicide. One of the most obvious differences between untreated and Quilt Xcel-treated corn under moisture stress was leaf curling in the untreated plants. Where the untreated leaves were curling up and photosynthesis shutting down, the Quilt Xcel-treated leaves were still functioning normally. The photographs below demonstrate the differences in four different hybrids either untreated or treated with Quilt Xcel at V4-V8: DKC DKC P1162 W7477 Quilt Xcel-treated plants had normal-functioning leaves that were capable of utilizing the sun s energy to feed the developing ears. An additional benefit was increased stalk girth and strength. Thicker, stronger stalks are less prone to lodging, while reduced lodging improves harvest efficiency and decreases volunteer corn in the crop to follow. The end result: improved ROI. Stronger, Healthier Stalks Lead to Reduced Lodging, Improved Harvest Efficiency and Greater ROI to the Grower Starch is utilized to feed the developing ear Improved leaf integrity and does not require plant to utilize starches in stalk Product performance assumes disease presence.

5 To access information about the genetic and traits portfolio from Syngenta, an enhanced website is now available at Growers will have a centralized location to find information about anything related to Syngenta seed brands, including hybrid and variety selections best suited to their area Syngenta, 410 Swing Road, Greensboro, NC Important: Always read and follow label instructions. Some crop protection products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties. Please check with your local extension service to ensure registration status. AAtrex 4L, AAtrex Nine-O, Agri-Flex, Agri-Mek 0.15EC, Agri-Mek SC, Avicta 500FS, Avicta Duo Corn, Avicta Duo 250 Corn, Avicta Duo Cotton, Avicta Complete Corn 250, Avicta Complete Corn 500, Avicta Duo 500 Corn, Besiege, Bicep II Magnum, Bicep II Magnum FC, Bicep Lite II Magnum, Callisto Xtra, Clinch, Curacon 8E, Cyclone Star, Denim, Endigo ZC, Epi-Mek 0.15EC, Expert, Force 3G, Force CS, Gramoxone Inteon, Gramoxone SL, Gramoxone SL 2.0, Karate with Zeon Technology, Karate EC, Lexar, Lexar EZ, Lumax, Lumax EZ, Proclaim, Voliam Xpress, Warrior II with Zeon Technology and Warrior with Zeon Technology are Restricted Use Pesticides. Not all traits or trait stacks referenced herein are approved for sale or use in the United States. These traits and trait stacks are not being offered for sale. Crops or other materials produced from traited seed can only be exported to, used, processed and/or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. Actara, Agri-Mek, Agri-Mek 0.15EC, Besiege, Centric, Centric 40WG, Curacron, Curacron 8E, Denim, Durivo, Endigo ZC, Karate with Zeon Technology, Karate EC, Platinum, Platinum 75SG, Proclaim, Voliam Flexi, Voliam Xpress, Warrior with Zeon Technology, and Warrior II with Zeon Technology are highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment or to residues on blooming crops and weeds. Do not apply these products or allow them to drift onto blooming plants if bees are foraging in the treated area. Some seed treatment offers are separately registered products applied to the seed as a combined slurry. Always read individual product labels and treater instructions before combining and applying component products. Performance evaluations vs. competitive products are based solely upon interpretation of research trials and/or publicly available information. The trademarks displayed or otherwise used herein ("the Trademarks") are registered and unregistered Trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company or third parties. UNSUBSCRIBE: To unsubscribe from this list, please reply to sender and request to be removed from future messages. Classification: PUBLIC