USB's Kitchen Sink Project--Part III

Seed Treatments

Inoculant

Inoculating soybean seed with Vault, which contains Bradyrhizobium japonicum, did not positively affect seed yield. At an estimated cost of $3.75/50 lb. of seed, using the inoculant had no effect on economic returns.

In a White Paper on the MSSOY website, the pros and cons of using inoculants is presented in detail. The tenets presented in that article should be considered when deciding to use these products.

Fungicide/Insecticide Seed Treatment

Using a fungicide/insecticide seed treatment provided little to no benefit in either yield or economic returns.

The recommended use of these products has never been based on their resulting in a yield increase in the Midsouth, although an economical yield response sometimes occurs. Rather, these products can provide a benefit by:

●          Resulting in increased soybean stands that will allow for a reduction in seeding rate and a subsequent cost savings, and

●          Providing relatively cheap insurance against a stand failure that can result in expensive replanting.

See the aforementioned White Paper for a detailed treatment of this subject and a list of seed treatment products that should be considered for planting environments that are expected to provide early-season stresses from soil pathogens and/or insects.

Take-Home Message

The results from this portion of the project confirm that using soybean inoculants and seed treatments is not likely to result in heretofore unseen soybean yield increases. Rather, inoculants should be considered for use where native populations are lacking, and seed fungicide/insecticide treatments should be used as stand enhancers and as insurance against costly stand failures in the Midsouth.

Again, check out the White Paper on the MSSOY website.

Composed by Larry G. Heatherly, Oct. 2012, larryheatherly@bellsouth.net