Our progress on each key deliverable is described below. Best practices for weed, insect, and disease control in early planted soybean. Progress to date: As mentioned above, all sites have had treatments applied and all of the midseason data collection processes (crop stand, weed density and biomass, and soil samples for weed seedbank analysis) have been collected. We still need to do the at harvest weed density measurements and collect soybean yield data. We held field days at all 3 sites and discussed the weed science aspect of this research project. We have 2 graduate students and a visiting scholar on board to work on weed, insect, and disease components, respectively, of this project, and plan to continue this week in 2024. Disease and insect damage measurements were taken throughout the season. Soybean plant samples collected throughout the growing season are currently frozen in Krupke lab. These will be analyzed throughout the fall and winter months, they are currently being prepped for analysis to quantify insecticide and fungicide residue levels. Final disease ratings are currently being collected just prior to harvest by the Telenko lab. In addition, roots were samples and are currently being processed for disease infection and root parameters. Survey of weed, insect, and disease pests in early planted soybean. Progress to date: our observations show that army worms are a big problem in fields that were planted into green cereal rye cover crops. Lack of spring precipitation has reduced weed emergence and disease incidence in the early part of the summer (May and June). More normal precipitation patterns in July resulted in lots of late season waterhemp and burcucumber emergence, particularly in fields with poor canopy closure and no residual herbicide use. Overall insect pressure was low at all 3 sites. Our initial analysis revealed no or weak relationships between treatment and levels of insect feeding. Once we complete pesticide residue analyses, we can examine hypotheses surrounding pesticide presence/pest damage levels. Disease pressure was relatively low at all sites throughout the season, but the last few weeks has seen some increase in disease pressure in the soybean canopy this change will be documented in the final disease ratings before harvest. Improved knowledge of seed treatment persistence in early planted soybeans Progress to date: All samples have been collected and we have begun processing, dividing plants into root/shoot/seed for residue analysis. We are waiting for our analytical standards to arrive at the residue lab in Bindley and anticipate those by end of September 2023. Processing of samples and quantification of pesticides will continue through the winter. Temperature (soil and air) and soil moisture data have been collected from each site and relationships between those data and our residue results will be clear in late winter 2023/24.

Field trials were conducted at 3 sites. All sites have had treatments applied and all of the midseason data collection processes (crop stand, weed density and biomass, and soil samples for weed seedbank analysis) have been collected. We still need to do the at harvest weed density measurements and collect soybean yield data. We held field days at all 3 sites and discussed the weed science aspect of this research project. We have 2 graduate students and a visiting scholar on board to work on weed, insect, and disease components, respectively, of this project, and plan to continue this week in 2024. The seed-applied insecticide and fungicide trials were planted at the same 3 sites, over 4 planting dates. Samples of plants were taken throughout the season, in conjunction with abiotic and biotic measurements (soil moisture, soil temperature, disease ratings and root samples) at the same location/date. We hypothesize that these environmental factors will affect translocation and, therefore, efficacy of pesticides.