Agronomic management decisions that affect soybean performance can vary across a range of environments and year of production. Date of emergence, days to flowering and maturity, and harvest dates are affected by planting date and are therefore worth noting. Seed quality will be determined by analyzing for oil and protein, test weights will be determined along with grain yields. Herbicide and pesticide applications will be made according to NDSU recommendations. An economic analysis will be performed to assess the profitability of soybean production for the 2016 crop cycle. This research will be one of a few of any recent trials to provide soybean yield response as a function of maturity class and planting density at multiple planting dates across environments with a goal to expand and sustain production in West, Central, and Northern ND.
We assessed whether farmers could plant much earlier than it has been traditionally practiced across these environments, and whether earlier and later planting dates are still profitable. If farmers can plant soybeans later than usual and are still able to break even in years when planting delays were a challenge, that gives them some flexibility in their farm management decision making. An interesting aspect would be the assessment of how planting density affects yield increase or decrease when seeds are planted early or late.

Update:

View uploaded report

Title: Utilizing soybean maturity class, planting date, and plant population to increase soybean production in West and Central ND

Principal Investigator: Jasper M Teboh, NDSU-Carrington REC;
Co-Principal Investigators: John Rickertsen, NDSU-Hettinger REC; Eric Eriksmoen, NDSU-North Central REC; Szilvia Yuja, NDSU-Carrington REC

Executive summary 2016

Historically, soybean maturity group (duration from seeding to maturity), planting date, and plant population (seeding rate), have been vital when producers make decisions to grow soybean. Despite the singular importance of each of these factors, the impact of one factor on yields sometimes depends on the other factors. These factors are of interest especially to new soybean producers and those expanding production in non-traditional soybean production regions in North Dakota (ND), where shortage of rainfall and soil management are key determinants for a successful soybean production. This is the case of several producers west of the Missouri River, and in central ND. The goal of this project is to enhance ND farmers’ soybean production by providing research-based information that facilitates their production decisions.

This research was conducted at Hettinger, Carrington, and Minot. Four soybean cultivars of maturity groups (MG- 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) were seeded on three dates considered early, normal, and late, at three seeding rates (80,000, 120,000, and 160,000, and 200,000 seeds/ac). A cultivar that is MG 0.4 should mature earlier than a MG 0.6 and much earlier than MG 0.8. All trials were established under dryland conditions in addition to an irrigated (pivot) site at CREC. The four cultivars planted included two conventional cultivars, Ashtabula (MG-0.4) and Prosoy (MG-0.8), and two Round Up Ready cultivars, Proseed 50-60 (MG-0.6) and Proseed 30-80 (MG-0.8). Row spacing was 14 inches. The planting dates were May 4th, 19th, and June 2nd at Hettinger, on May 6th, 17th, and June 3rd at Minot, and May 6th, May 20th, and June 2nd at Carrington.

Our results in 2016 showed that, planting date had a significant effect on soybean yield for some cultivars and not for others. Seeding the early cultivar (MG 0.4) in early May resulted in the lowest yield, at all three sites evaluated. At Hettinger, yields from May 17th were significantly greater than from May 4th or June 2nd. Planting a late cultivar like Proseed 30-80 (MG 0.8) as late as June suggested higher risk of significant yield loss as observed in Carrington where, yields were consistently greater for later MG cultivars planted early. Average yield of all sites following early, normal, or late seeding were, 36, 37, 33 bu/ac, respectively. Seeding population had significant impact on yields at all sites but Hettinger. The 160,000 seeding rate produced the most optimal yields. Impact of seeding rate on yield did not depend on maturity group or date.