2014
Critically evaluating the interpretation of soybean plant tissue analysis in the 21st century
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Contributor/Checkoff:
South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
GeneticsGenomicsSeed quality
Parent Project:
This is the first year of this project.
Lead Principal Investigator:
Nathan Mueller, South Dakota State University
Co-Principal Investigators:
Ron Gelderman, South Dakota State University
Peter Sexton, South Dakota State University
Jixiang Wu, South Dakota State University
+2 More
Project Code:
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council
(n/a)
Institution Funded:
South Dakota State University
(n/a)
Brief Project Summary:

Growers are looking for additional ways to verify that soil and fertilizer applications are meeting the nutritional needs of the soybean plant and maximizing yield. Therefore, plant tissue analysis is becoming more routine. However, the interpretation of these laboratory concentrations needs to be reassessed, since most interpretations were derived in the 1960s. To critically evaluate the interpretation of soybean plant tissue analysis in the 21st Century, this three-year project is multi-faceted in nature and includes four main objectives.

Unique Keywords:
#plant tissue analysis, #soil fertility, #soybean nutrient management, #soybean nutrient recommendations
Information And Results
Final Project Results

Objective 1: In 2013, locations where soil test P values were in the current “medium” or “high” category showed no yield response to P fertilizer. This study is being repeated this growing season (2014) on 10 more additional sites where more sites are testing in the “low” category for soil test P. Early season growth responses to P fertilizer have been observed in 2014. Soil test and leaf P concentration interpretations based on yield and yield components (pods per plant, seeds per pod, etc.) will be averaged across data from 2013 and 2014 growing seasons this fall.

Objective 2: Significant variation in soybean leaf nutrient concentrations across the landscape suggest that multiple soybean leaf samples should be taken in a field for the purpose of monitoring plant nutrition. Final analysis/synthesis of the data still need to be conducted and outreach materials generated.

Objective 3: Paulsen Marketing staff, iGrow staff, and I have met to move designing of the NEW online soybean leaf nutrient interpretation tool forward on a dynamic mobile-friendly platform. The targeted release of the online soybean leaf nutrient interpretation tool for 2014 growing season was ambitious on our part and not met. However progress on the tool is moving forward and will be available for 2015 growing season. The extension article (iGrow.org) and video (YouTube) have already been released.

Objective 4: This portion of the study is being repeated this year at Volga with the same varieties to average across climatic conditions. First year data revealed that several varieties behaved differently in leaf nutrient concentration (Figure 1). Rebecca Slatt, graduate student, will be conducting this analysis across both years this fall for her thesis work. Extension materials will be generated from her work highlighting the implications of sampling at various growth stages and varieties for monitoring soybean plant nutrition.

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.