Project Summary
Increasing soybean profitability in a highly variable environment requires the development of adaptable systems that links advances in crop genetics with an improved understanding of ecosystem functioning and soil health. The proposed project will build the infrastructure where locally-led production and management questions are identified and tested.
The activities for the upcoming year include:
1) Conduct second year research on a project designed to determine the influence of foliar fertilizers (macro, N and S, and micronutrients) on profitability and the ability of tissue samples to assess yields and identify nutrient deficient soybean plants;
2) Continue the on-farm research program with the target of conducting 110 on-farm studies in 2019;
3) Continue research designed to determine the importance of soil health in optimizing soybean yields;
4) Continue on-farm research designed to assess the impact increasing salt concentration and drainage on yields; and
5) Deliver information to producers through talks, Soy100, AgOutlook, news releases and Igrow. Routine advisory board meetings will be held in 2019 and 2020.
Project Objectives
1. Determine the influence of foliar fertilizers (macro, N and S, and micronutrients) on soybean profitability (Drs. Nleya and Kovacs)
i. How tissue testing reflects the plants nutrient status
ii. Can tissue sampling provide information relative to nutrient deficiencies
iii. Are the critical levels different for different maturity groups
iv. Do in-season macro- and micro-nutrients improve profitability.
2. Conduct on farm studies. Our goal for the number of on-farm studies is 110 for 2018 (Drs D.E. Clay, S.A. Clay, Bruggeman, Beck, Chang, Shaffer, Reese and Strunk, Bly, Karki, Berg, Beck)
i. In-season cover crops
ii. Late season N and soybean varieties
iii. Fungicides seed treatments
iv. In-season fungicide treatments
v. Seeding rates and growth promoters
vi. Micronutrients
vii. Tillage and residue management in rotations that include soybeans
viii. Other farmer identified projects.
3. Continue on-farm research designed to determine the importance of soil health in reducing costs and optimizing soybean yields.
4. Continue on-farm research designed to assess the impact increasing salt concentration and drainage on yields.
5. Deliver information to producers through talks, Soy100, AgOutlook, on-farm webpage, and news releases. Distribute information to soybean growers and farmer collaborators
Project Deliverables
We will help increase South Dakota soybean yields by:
1) preparing final reports for targeted experiments,
2) providing farmer training for on-farm research,
3) building on on-farm searchable database, and
4) organizing Soy100 meetings in Aberdeen and Brookings.
This project will allow us to better match solutions to problems and create locally based, flexible, high yield roadmaps, which will be validated in research conducted in producer’s fields when appropriate
Progress of Work
Final Project Results
Benefit to Soybean Farmers
The project will help SD soybean producers enhance profitability by conducting targeted research, working one-on-one with farmers conducting on-farm research projects, and sharing the research findings with the producer and scientific communities. The continuing on-farm project will continue to build the number of on-farm research projects that farmers can search.
Performance Metrics