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Determining suitable planting date and soil temperature for enhanced growth and yield of soybean under no-till semi-arid condition
(Executive summary – 2019/20)
Gautam Pradhan*, Jerald Bergman, and James Staricka
NDSU Williston Research Extension Center, Williston, ND 58001
*Corresponding author: gautam.pradhan@ndsu.edu

Research Conducted
Two glyphosate tolerant soybean varieties were seeded at Williston Research Extension Center, Williston, ND maintaining a row to row distance of seven inches. The treatments comprised of seven planting dates (pd: 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th of May, and 6th and 13th of June 2019) as main plots; two varieties (v: ‘ND17009GT’ and ‘ND18008GT’) as subplots, and two seed treatments (st: Treated with fungicide Obvious @ 6.4 oz/100 lb seed and untreated as control) as sub-sub plots. The soil temperature data at 4” depth was downloaded from NADWN weather station located 715 feet southeast of the experimental field. At maturity, biomass was collected and soybean was harvested using a plot combine.

Why the research is important to ND soybean farmers
Soybean acreage has been steadily increasing in ND, including the western part of the state, which has an exceptionally drier climate than the eastern part. There is a lack of a soybean production management guidelines suitable for no-till dryland soybean producers of western ND. Determination of suitable seeding date and soil temperature is crucial to avoid abiotic and biotic stress and to have a sustainable higher soybean yield and the farm income under no-till dryland conditions.

Final findings of the research
There was a significant effect of planting dates on above ground biomass, grain yield, grain protein, grain oil, and test weight (Table 1), and varieties responded differentially to planting dates for grain yield and test weight (Figure 1). when averaged across seed treatment, ND18008GT consistently yielded higher when planted in May compared to June planting and ND17009GT produced higher yield when planted in June than in May (Figure 1a). There was an exception that ND17009GT planted on May 9th produced as similar yield as of June planting. Between varieties, May planted ND18008GT had a higher yield than May planted ND17009GT except that there was no statistical difference in yield between two varieties planted on May 9th. Regarding test weight, the May planting was better than June planting; and May planted ND17009GT had a higher test weight than May planted ND18008GT (Figure 1b)

Benefits/Recommendations to North Dakota soybean farmers and industry
The outcomes of this project showed that variety ND18008GT may be planted up to June 6th to avoid 9 bu/ac of yield loss if planting is delayed to June 13th; whereas ND17009GT shall be planted in June than in May to avoid similar loss.