2014
Agronomic Maximization of Soybean Yield and Quality (Year 3 of 2239)
Contributor/Checkoff:
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
(none assigned)
Lead Principal Investigator:
Seth Naeve, University of Minnesota
Co-Principal Investigators:
Kraig Roozeboom, Kansas State University
Kurt Thelen, Michigan State University
Shaun Casteel, Purdue University
Jeremy Ross, University of Arkansas
Emerson Nafziger, University of Illinois-Carbondale
Chad Lee, University of Kentucky
Shawn Conley, University of Wisconsin
+6 More
Project Code:
1420-832-8262
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Institution Funded:
Brief Project Summary:

Unique Keywords:
#crop management systems, #soybean production management, #soybean yield improvement
Information And Results
Project Deliverables

• An unbiased unified set of soybean production recommendations. This will include the product(s) identified as being most yield-promoting as well as a better understanding of how the product(s) work in combination with new, higher-yielding varieties relative to older varieties. Additionally, the optimum plant population (minimum seeding rate) for specific regions using specific products/management options will be determined.
• Scholarly research focused on applied soybean production issues (articles in Corn and Soybean Digest, research journals, and information on Extension websites and blogs), and the education/training of graduate students to fill an ever-widening gap in the number of M.S. and Ph.D. level graduates with direct soybean production experience.

Final Project Results

Conclusions:
• The SOYA management regime did increase yield above the UTC in the average-yielding environments. In the low-yielding environments, the SOYA treatments had no effect. It is likely that other environmental factors played a large role in overall yield levels for low-yielding environments. Likewise, in the high-yielding environments, the SOYA treatments did not increase yield levels above the control and high yields were obtained at generally lower harvest and seeded plant densities in comparison to the average and low-yielding environments; this finding together with the results from the low-yielding environments indicates that environmental factors play a larger role in attaining yield in comparison to plant density and management. Although specific products were found to increase yield (Study # 1), the SOYA system as a whole is very costly relative to current soybean market prices. It appears the grower would be better served by investing production dollars in planting more seeds/acre as this was a significant factor in higher yield across all environments.
• Three PhD candidates and two M.S. candidates have been working on this project. Plans are being made, and work progresses on publishing the results of this research through several manuscripts.
• Presentations of results were prepared and presented throughout the project. These highlight study objectives, procedures, and results. The project team travelled the U.S. extensively presenting those findings to farmers and other stakeholders in the soybean community.

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.