Entomologists have been testing soybean seed treatments for the past four years in the Mid-South. A total of about 100 studies have been conducted in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. These studies indicated CruiserMaxx and Gaucho seed treatments had about a 70-85% probability of an economic return at present soybean prices. It would appear that insecticide seed treatments helped control small leaf feeding beetles, thrips, three-cornered alfalfa hopper and white grubs. In some tests there was a yield increase without observable insects.

In preliminary replicated studies conducted at three experiment stations in 2008, insecticide-treated soybean seed plus fungicide...