2016
Seeding Date, Cultivar and Location Influence on Soybean Performance Phenology in Eastern North Dakota
Contributor/Checkoff:
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
Field management Nutrient managementSoil healthTillageYield trials
Parent Project:
This is the first year of this project.
Lead Principal Investigator:
Burton Johnson, North Dakota State University
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Institution Funded:
Brief Project Summary:

Soybean phenology as effected by cultivar maturity group, geographic location, and seeding date is important in crop management from seeding to harvest, and enables growers to properly select cultivar maturity for highest grain production in a region. The study objective is to evaluate the effect of cultivar maturity, geographic location, and seeding date on soybean performance in the primary production region of eastern North Dakota. A RCBD 3x6 factorial experiment with four replicates will be conducted at Carrington, Prosper, and Lisbon, ND, in 2016. Glyphosate resistant cultivar maturities are 00.8, 0.7, and 1.4. Seeding dates will be spaced at approximately 8 to 12 days beginning...

Unique Keywords:
#crop management systems
Information And Results
Project Deliverables

Anticipated results from the preliminary (non-funded) 2012 and funded 2013 field study will illustrate soybean performance from later than normal seeding dates at Prosper, ND (also one of the three study locations in the proposal). Yield from the 2012 study for late June (34 bushels/acre) and early July (17 bushels/acre) seeding dates with early maturity soybean cultivars produced a gross return of $442/acre and $221/acre, respectively, based on $13/bu prices. Aside from the modest yield and crop value as compared to soybean performance from normal seeding date’s additional benefits from late seeded soybean include cover crop soil protection and competition with weeds, nitrogen fixation and N-credit to subsequent crops, and in wet season’s water utilization that reduces salt accumulation near the soil surface.
Study results will identify the effects of cultivar maturity, seeding date, and location that maximize soybean yield at each study location. Defined yield and crop value expectations (current commodity prices) based on the soybean research study will provide producers with important information about late planting seasons or replanting situations regarding which cropping alternatives will be the most profitable. Cropping alternatives to late seeded soybean could be short season crops such as buckwheat and millet, warm season forages, and cover crops. Having agronomic and economic data from this study will make comparisons much more clear with the other cropping alternatives.
The study proposal provides support for a graduate student to develop research skills leading to a career that will contribute to agricultural sustainability.
The study could likely lead to further research to define the value of late seeded soybean in cropping systems. Perhaps late seeded soybean could follow an early maturing winter annual oil-seed crop (camelina) that is harvested in late June/early July.

Final Project Results

Updated December 2, 2016:
Final Progress Report is downloaded in the File (optional) below

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Title – Seeding date, cultivar, and location influence on soybean performance and phenology in eastern North Dakota

Principle Investigator(s): Burton Johnson, Dept. of Plant Sciences, NDSU Dept. 7670, Fargo, ND 58108-6050, phone 701-231-8895, fax 701-231-8474, Burton.Johnson@ndsu.edu

Dates of research proposal: July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015 and July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016

Soybean cultivar maturity rating and seeding date were evaluated at Carrington (northern), Prosper (central), and Lisbon (southern), ND, locations to determine yield response for cultivars from three maturity ratings, as seeding date was delayed from mid/late May to early/mid July in the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons. Maturity ratings were 00.9, 0.7, and 1.4, and seeding dates were spaced at about 10-day intervals, for a total of six seeding dates.

This research is important for producers from different locations in selecting seeding dates for optimum yield performance from soybean cultivars with different maturity ratings. Later maturity varieties can offer higher yield potential; however, delayed planting and uncertainty of growing season duration often dictates selection of earlier cultivars to reduce production risk from early fall frosts that may result in low yield of later maturity cultivars, because of not reaching physiological maturity.

In 2014, the Carrington and Prosper locations cultivar maturity rating and seeding date yield responses ranged from 30 to 45 bu/acre and 40 to 64 bu/acre, respectively, between Date 1 and Date 4 for 00.9 and 0.7 maturity rated cultivars, respectively (Table 1). Yield for the late maturity group 1.4 cultivar was 17 and 26 bu/acre at seeding Date 4 at Carrington and Prosper, respectively. This indicates seeding later than June 12 resulted in substantial yield reduction at these locations for the late maturity rating cultivar. At the southern Lisbon location, yield was 36 bu/acre at seeding Date 4 on June 23 and 46 bu/acre at seeding Date 3 on June 12.

In 2015, the Carrington, Prosper, and Lisbon locations cultivar maturity rating and seeding date yield responses ranged from 13 to 23 bu/acre, 28 to 42 bu/acre, and 24 to 39 bu/acre, respectively, between Date 1 and Date 4 (Table 1). Consequently, there are no clear maturity rating seeding date yield responses at Carrington in 2015 due to constricted yields. At the Prosper location in 2015, greater than 30 bu/acre yields were achieved from Dates 1 through 3 for maturity ratings 00.9 and 0.7, and Dates 1 through 4 for maturity rating 1.4. At the Lisbon location the 0.7 maturity rating cultivar did not yield greater than 30 bu/acre at any of the seeding dates. Yield for the 00.9 maturity cultivar was greater than 30 bu/acre for seeding Dates 1 and 2. The 1.4 maturity rated cultivar at seeding Date 1 yielded 39 bu/acre with later seeding Dates 2, 3, and 4 yielding between 30 and 33 bu/acre.

Based on this study with six environments, seeding date recommendations for 00.9 and 0.7 maturity ratings and yield potential of 30 bu/acre or greater are from seeding on/before June 23, and for maturity rated cultivars 1.4 on/before June 11. Also, yield was generally greatest at the earliest and second seeding dates for each maturity rating.

This soybean research will provide producers with important information about late or replanting soybean performance compared to alternative production strategies regarding profit potential. Cropping alternatives to late-seeded soybean could be short-season crops such as buckwheat and millet, warm season forages, and cover crops. Perhaps late-seeded soybean could follow an early maturing winter annual oilseed crop (camelina) that is harvested in late June/early July. The study proposal provides support for a graduate student to develop research skills leading to a career that will contribute to agricultural sustainability.

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.