Updated December 9, 2019:
The first year of field experiment was successfully completed in all three locations with cover crop, N fertilizer and liquid inoculant treatments. Six commercial cultivars of two different maturity groups (MG1 and MG2 in MN, and MG2 and MG4 in AR and KY) and a non-nodulating soybean cultivar within each MG were used. A rye cover crop was planted in Kentucky and Arkansas, and an oat cover crop planted in the spring was used in Minnesota. Liquid inoculant with Bradyrhizobium japonicum (Cell-Tech liquid, Monsanto BioAg) was applied at a rate of 1 oz per 1,000 ft row on the soil surface at R3 stage in inoculated treatments. Nitrogen fertilizer (urea) was applied at 180 lbs N/acre in two side-dress applications (R5 and 14 days after R5) as the N fertilizer treatment. Aerial RGB and multispectral images were collected at approximately R2/R3 (before inoculant application), R5 (before N fertilizer application), and at R6 in all three locations. Plants were harvested after maturity to record final yield and related parameters. Biomass and pod samples samples were collected during the growing season as scheduled. Harvest seed is being processed and will be analyzed for total protein and oil concentration, amino acid, and fatty acid profiles. Data across locations is being compiled and results will be presented in future reports. A preliminary dataset for model evaluation and improvement of soybean crop models from year 1 will be generated after completion of plant tissue and seed analysis.