The document summarizes research on soybean production practices including the benefits of rotating soybeans with wheat compared to continuous corn and soybeans. Rotating with wheat increased soybean yields by up to 7 bushels per acre and improved soil health measures like organic matter content and beneficial bacteria. Optimal soybean seeding rates varied by yield environment, from 128,000 seeds per acre for high-yielding areas to 170,000 for low-yielding areas. Narrow row spacing provided greater yield benefits in early maturing cultivars and late plantings. Many Ohio fields were found to be deficient in phosphorus and potassium according to soil tests. Foliar fertilizer products generally did not increase soybean yields in Ohio trials.

1. 2019 Soybean Research
Wrap-Up
Laura Lindsey
Conservation Tillage Conference
March 4, 2020

2. Topics
• Benefits of wheat
• Soybean relative
maturity
• Seeding rate
• Row width
• Fertility
– P + K
– Foliar fertilizer

3. Corn-Soy-Wheat vs Corn-Soy
• Rotation study started in 2012
– Wood County
– Clark County

4. Corn-Soy vs Corn-Soy-Wheat: Yield
Huo, 2020
Soybeanyield(bu/acre)
+3
-2
+7 +4

5. Corn-Soy vs Corn-Soy-Wheat: Stand
Huo, 2020
Soybeanyield(bu/acre)
+3
-2
+7 +4
89 k 109 k

6. Corn-Soy vs Corn-Soy-Wheat: Roots
Huo, 2020
Soybeanyield(bu/acre)
+3
-2
+7 +4
0.016 oz 0.019 oz

7. Corn-Soy vs Corn-Soy-Wheat: Shoots
Huo, 2020
Soybeanyield(bu/acre)
+3
-2
+7 +4
0.023 oz 0.026 oz

8. Corn-Soy vs Corn-Soy-Wheat: OM
Huo, 2020
Soybeanyield(bu/acre)
+3
-2
+7 +4
5.03% 5.23%
4.89% 5.26% 4.78% 5.46%

9. Soil Bacterial Community
• Bacterial community diversity
– No difference between C-S and C-S-W
rotation
• Beneficial bacteria
– Higher abundance in C-S-W
• Soil-borne pathogen (Ralstonia taxa)
– Lower in C-S-W
Huo, 2020

10. Soybean Relative Maturity- Wood
County
• 2017 & 2018
• 16 cultivars
– 0.3 to 3.8 RM
Back

11. Soybean Relative Maturity- Wood
County

12. Soybean Relative Maturity- Wood
County 2.9-3.8 same yield

13. Soybean Relative Maturity- Wood
County R8 stage 7 days earlier with 2.9 vs 3.8

14. Soybean Relative Maturity- Clark County
• 2017 & 2018
• 16 cultivars
– 1.1 to 4.6 RM

15. Soybean Relative Maturity- Clark County
3.2-4.6 same yield

16. Soybean Relative Maturity- Clark County
R8 stage 15 days earlier with 3.2 vs 4.6

17. Relative Maturity Considerations
• Facilitate winter wheat/winter malting barley
planting
• Facilitate planting cover crops
• Improve harvest date window
Back

18. Seeding Rate
• 211 field studies (Ohio included) grouped by
environment (soil x climate factors)
Mourtzinis et al., 2019

19. Seeding Rate
• Also grouped by yield level:
– High: >71 bu/acre
– Medium: 58-71 bu/acre
– Low: <58 bu/acre
Mourtzinis et al., 2019

20. Optimum Seeding Rate (Cluster 2)
Mourtzinis et al., 2019
Yield increase
probability
Average change in
yield
(bu/acre)
AOSR = 170,000 seeds/acre
LOW YIELD
(<58 bu/acre)

21. Optimum Seeding Rate (Cluster 2)
Mourtzinis et al., 2019
Yield increase
probability
Average change in
yield
(bu/acre)
221,000 56% +0.05
204,000 55% +0.04
187,000 53% +0.02
AOSR = 170,000 seeds/acre
153,000 43% -0.06
136,000 29% -0.17
119,000 9% -0.37
LOW YIELD
(<58 bu/acre)

22. Optimum Seeding Rate (Cluster 2)
Mourtzinis et al., 2019
Yield increase
probability
Average change in
yield
(bu/acre)
AOSR = 146,000 seeds/acre
MEDIUM YIELD
(58-71 bu/acre)

23. Optimum Seeding Rate (Cluster 2)
Mourtzinis et al., 2019
Yield increase
probability
Average change in
yield
(bu/acre)
190,000 59% +0.04
175,000 55% +0.02
161,000 52% +0.003
AOSR = 146,000 seeds/acre
131,000 6% -0.22
117,000 0% -0.46
102,000 0% -0.89
MEDIUM YIELD
(58-71 bu/acre)

24. Optimum Seeding Rate (Cluster 2)
Mourtzinis et al., 2019
Yield increase
probability
Average change in
yield
(bu/acre)
AOSR = 128,000 seeds/acre
HIGH YIELD
(>71 bu/acre)

25. Optimum Seeding Rate (Cluster 2)
Mourtzinis et al., 2019
Yield increase
probability
Average change in
yield
(bu/acre)
166,000 64% +0.07
154,000 62% +0.06
141,000 58% +0.04
AOSR = 128,000 seeds/acre
115,000 34% -0.07
102,000 10% -0.22
90,000 0% -0.52
HIGH YIELD
(>71 bu/acre)

26. Seeding Rate
• High yielding areas, lower seeding rate
• Low yielding areas, higher seeding rate
• Seeding rates < AOSR
– Small potential yield loss
• Seeding rates > AOSR
– Slight yield increase (but comes at seed cost)
Andrade et al., 2019

27. Soybean Stand Recommendation
• For May planting dates, need at least
100,000 plants/acre
• For June planting dates, need at least
130,000 plants/acre
• Double crop soybean, at least 180,000
plants/acre
Back

28. Row Width
• Data from
7,044 fields
Andrade et al., 2019

29. Row Width Distribution
Andrade et al., 2019

30. Row Width Effect on Yield
Andrade et al., 2019

31. Row Width Effect on Yield
Andrade et al., 2019

32. Row Width
• Larger Impact of Narrow Rows When
– Early maturing cultivars
– Late planting
– High temperatures during VE-R3 growth
stages
Andrade et al., 2019
Back

33. Statewide Survey of Yield-Limiting Factors
• On-farm research in Ohio 2013-2015
– n = 199 fields
• Cultural practices
• Soil fertility
• Soybean cyst nematode

34. Statewide Survey of Yield-Limiting Factors
• On-farm research in Ohio 2013-2015
– n = 199
• Cultural practices
• Soil fertility
• Soybean cyst nematode

35. Soil Fertility Philosophy

36. Soil Test P
Brooker et al., 2016

37. Soil Test P
Brooker et al., 2016
65% of fields had at least
a portion of the field that
needed phosphorus
fertilizer.

38. Soil Test P
Brooker et al., 2016

39. Soil Test P
Brooker et al., 2016
21% of soil samples < CL

40. Soil Test P Trends: 1993-2015
Dayton et al., 2020
Maintenance:
20 to 40 ppm (Mehlich)

41. Phosphorus Balance
Dayton et al., 2020

42. Soil Test K
Brooker et al., 2016
Photo: James Morris

43. Soil Test K
Brooker et al., 2016
58% of fields had at least
a portion of the field that
needed potassium
fertilizer.

44. Soil Test K
Brooker et al., 2016

45. Soil Test K
Brooker et al., 2016
23% of soil samples < CL

46. So…Is more fertilizer better?

47. So…Is more fertilizer better?
Back

48. Foliar Fertilizer- 2019 Summary
• 20 trials
• 13 states
Matcham, 2020

49. Products
Matcham, 2020
Product Name Company Nutrient Supplied Application Rate
FertiRain AgroLiquid NPKSMnFeMn 3 gal/A
SureK AgroLiquid NPK 3 gal/A
HarvestMoreUreamate Stoller NSBMnZn 2.5 lbs/A
Smart B-Mo Brandt BMo 1 pt/A
Smart Quarto Plus Brandt SBMoMnZn 1 qt/A
Maximum NPact K Nutrien NK 1.5 gal/A
- - Control -

50. Ohio: No yield difference
Matcham, 2020

51. Other Locations
• 18 trials
– 1 location
with yield
increase
– WI
– N + K
product
Matcham, 2020
Back

52. Any Questions?