This project will determine BMPs of technology including traits and inputs needed to produce a soybean crop in Kansas. It will include the use of biologicals and seed treatments combined with best practices used to monitor and scout for insect and disease populations in integrated pest management. This information will help producers to decrease or control costs while maintaining or increasing high soybean grain yields.

Objectives
1. Evaluate the use and effect of biologicals in soybean production. [yr 1 . . yr 3]
Replicated studies will include the use of biological seed treatments, fungicides and insecticides. These will include both current treatments and historical treatments such as Dipel (Bt) to protect soybean production season long. We will also use trap crops, sentinel plots and indirect management of both insects and disease throughout the season.

2. Development of practical IPM (Integrated Pest Management) guidelines for fungicides and insecticides in intensive production. [yr 1 …yr3]
Studies will include managing multiple pests for the whole season by monitoring populations, using trap/sentinel crops, and insect traps. The goal is to establish monitoring that can be quickly and efficiently done. Time management and quick solid recommendations should go hand in hand.

3. Are our scouting models accurate enough for modern extensive agriculture? [yr 1…yr 3]
Studies will be established utilizing scouting and treatment level recommendations for soybean. We will then build in time constraints that farmers may run into such as delays in treatment due to weather, product buying and delivery, and actual treatment by either the farmer or commercial applicators. We will then go back and look at the resulting pest control and effect on grain yield. In addition to using no treatment controls, we will make treatments on first sight of pests to determine if thresholds are effective in modern extensive agriculture.

4. Are seed treatments the wave of the future or just a fad in soybeans? [yr 3…yr 3]
Studies will be established using seed treatments and analyzing for whole plant health, plant stands, early season growth, early season pest control, midseason pest control, and final grain yield.

I expect to provide improved management information as to the use of biologicals, integrated pest management methods, scouting techniques, and seed treatment use on soybean in Kansas. Recent research has identified several areas of need as to management of insect and disease in intensive management of soybean, the economics and effectiveness of using low-
We will evaluate cost effective fungicide / insecticide alternatives in a production system, and refine several areas of production that are not well understood. This project will then take research findings to the field in simple strip plots to adjust them to real world situations and speed acceptance in the farm community

Update:
Mid Year Report for Kansas Soybean Commission September 8, 2021
The Technology, Including Traits and Inputs Needed to Produce a Modern Soybean Crop.

James H. Long Ph.D.

Activity for the six months ending August 31, 2021, in the project includes land preparation, fertilization, herbicide application and planting of plots. Development of methods such as in crop, disease and insect models has begun. Irrigated plots were planted the on April 5 then again on April 26 and emerged with adequate stands. Non-irrigated soybean were planted May 5 to moisture using a JD 7100 planter with trash whippers on front and planted in 30-inch rows. Irrigated soybean were planted with a plot grain drill in 7-inch rows.
Insects began to show up in numbers in trap/sentinel crops and light traps in mid July with leaf feeding insects and Septoria leaf disease making first appearance at that time. Soybean pod worm eggs began to show up in a few sentinel plots, with frogeye leaf spot showing in mid July. In early August, damage to soybean pods from soybean pod worm began to occur in scattered fields. By August 10, moderate damage appeared and treatment was made to all plots receiving both insecticide and fungicide treatments. Frogeye leaf spot was occurring on approximately 10 percent of leaves (bottom of canopy) with 20 percent leaf coverage. Black light traps and sentinel
plots both showed increased insect activity during this time.

Objective 1- Evaluating Biologicals.
Seed, fertilizer, and pesticides have been obtained. Plots were laid out and fertilizer and grass and broadleaf herbicide was applied preplant incorporated. Selected treatment plots were treated with Dipel at R1/R2 to determine its effect on building soybean insect populations. This would have been in mid July in research plots. Dipel reduced worm levels in the plots during the early pod set and delayed insecticide application.

Objective 2 – Development of practical IPM guidelines.
Seed, fertilizer, and pesticides have been obtained. Ground was fertilized and herbicide was applied before planting. All treatments have been made and sentinel and trap crops as well as scouting and black light traps have been deployed and used to determine insect and disease levels. Drought during pod fill affected non-irrigated soybean and pest populations in fields and plots. Pod worms showed in mid July then populations decreased during a hot and dry period from mid July until mid August. Populations then began to increase to treatable levels in late August.

Objective 3. – Are our scouting models accurate enough for modern extensive agriculture?
Seed and supplies have been bought and plot ground has been fertilized and worked prior to planting. Plots were planted in late April and early May and scouting began in late June with first appearance of moths in the canopy in early July. Application of insecticide treatments were made at first appearance, early infestation and at soybean pod worm threshold levels. In other treatments, first applications were made at 3-, 6- and 9-day intervals after pod worm threshold levels to mimic application delays.

Objective 4. Are seed treatments the wave of the future?
All seed and supplies have been obtained and ground has been fertilized, worked and is now ready to plant. Varying seed treatments were utilized on research plots to best determine their effect on stand and grain yield. Plots are now at R4/5 maturity levels.

Update:
ALSO SEE FILE UPLOAD FOR COMPLETE WITH GRAPHS


The Technology, Including Traits and Inputs, Needed to Produce a Modern Soybean Crop - James H. Long Jr. Ph.D.
Objective 1. Evaluate the use and effect of biologicals in soybean production. Evaluate existing and historical biological control methods such as Dipel to maintain low levels of pests such as pod worms. Also use indirect control methods such as trap crops. There are many biologicals now available for use including Dipel. Two years of research indicate that use of this biological in conjunction with insecticide can give season long control of soybean pod worms. Results in 2021 show a bump in yield (though not significant) using Dipel and then insecticide to control soybean pod worm. This is probably due to the soft effect of Dipel on beneficials. The use of this biological alone was better than the untreated check (UTC) though not as effective as using either Dipel + Insecticide or Insecticide twice. Research will continue in 2022 and then 3 year averages will be presented in the final report.

Objective 2. Development of practical IPM.
Use modern and historical techniques to determine when pests are established and populations are growing in an attempt to maintain low populations that will not reach treatment threshold levels. Research in 2021 indicates that we can get early detection of disease and insects through use of light traps and early observation, but scouting the crop gave best indication of damage to the crop and when to apply effective control. As scouting is labor intensive, especially when done season long, we may utilize early detection as an effective trigger to begin scouting. This method will be tested in 2022 with the four presented in the graph. All techniques gave better results than the untreated check (UTC). All treatments also worked whether the soybean were irrigated or not irrigated during the summer, although Scouting during the entire season worked best. Results in 2022 will give 3 years of results that can be used for yield loss models.


Objective 3. Are scouting models effective?
Is current scouting effective in modern agriculture? Current methods determine threshold levels for damage, but we struggle with timeliness. Most modern producers have large acreages that may be spread over a very large area. These acres may also be planted at varying dates. It is useful for a producer to know how long they have to control insects, in particular, before yield losses become significant. This ties in with Objective 2 as there is about a 2 or 3 day lag before significant yield loss begins. A third year will be done.

Objective 4. Are seed treatments the future?
We could talk for hours about seed treatment technology, effectiveness, and what could be accomplished with modern treatments. Research will be conducted to determine needs and trends, but in a word, YES, seed treatments work and are needed. We now have very complex seed treatments that include fungicide, insecticide, micro nutrients, biologicals, hormone, and other additive yield enhancing treatments. It is extremely difficult to know if everything is needed every year, but the concept seems to be to add everything that may eventually be needed to insure 100 bushel soybean. Our research indicates that seed treatments alone help with plant stands and can improve final grain yield, however, they work together with later foliar fungicide and insecticide treatments to insure the highest yield possible for the year. It is of interest to note that some states are now considering closer regulation of these treatments.

View uploaded report

This research will enable producers to better utilize production techniques and methods for producing a modern soybean crop. The project uses already existing production methods in more efficient ways that will prevent yield loss and/or increase grain yields.