2017
Non-Foliar Potential Yield Enhancements
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
Field management Nutrient managementSoil healthTillageYield trials
Lead Principal Investigator:
James E Dunphy, North Carolina State University
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
16-023
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Institution Funded:
Brief Project Summary:

Periodically, new products, or new uses of old products, appear on the market for soybeans, and receive enough favorable publicity to generate questions from producers and suppliers about their potential profitability. It is usually difficult to answer these questions confidently and accurately, without reliable in-state test results. This extension project conducts replicated on–farm tests to see if any of several new or unique non-foliar products or practices produce yield or quality changes sufficient to improve profitability. Trials seek to improve the farm level profitability of producing soybeans in North Carolina, investigate potential of these products, train county extension personnel and support NCSU’s Soybean Extension On-Farm Test and Demonstration program.

Key Benefactors:
farmers, agronomists, extension agents

Information And Results
Project Deliverables

Final Project Results

North Carolina’s soybean farmers have the opportunity to buy several different products to put on their seed prior to planting, or in the furrow with the seed at planting. To test whether some of these products are likely to produce a profitable yield increase, replicated on-farm tests were conducted in Greene, Hyde, and Johnston counties in 2016.

Several of the products produced a yield increase of 1-2 Bu/A, which may or may not be profitable, depending on the cost of applying the product. The fungicide Rancona improved yields by 1.2 Bu/A when applied to the seed. The enhanced inoculant Optimize improved yields by 1.4 Bu/A, while the fertilizer BioForge improved yields by 1.7 Bu/A when applied to the seed. Agzyme applied in the furrow with the seed improved yields by 1.0 Bu/A, while the fungicide
Priaxor applied in the furrow improved yields by 1.6 Bu/A. Three other products tested did not improve yields.

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.