Update:
Yearly Report for Kansas Soybean Commission April 15, 2021
The Technology, Including Traits and Inputs Needed to Produce a Modern Soybean Crop.
James H. Long Ph.D.
Activity for the 12 months ending February 28, 2021 in the project includes land preparation, fertilization, herbicide application and planting of plots. It also includes the application of treatments, maintenance of plots, irrigation (if called for), and harvest of plots. Development of methods such as in crop, disease and insect models has begun. Plots were planted the first week of June and emerged with adequate stands. Non-irrigated soybean were planted to moisture using a JD 7100 planter with trash whippers on front and planted in 30 inch rows. Irrigated soybean were planted with a plot grain drill in 7 inch rows. Plots had to be irrigated up with 2 one half inch irrigation spaced 3 days apart. Insects began to show up in numbers in late July with leaf feeding insects and Septoria leaf disease making first appearance. In early August Soybean Pod Worm eggs began to show up in a few sentinel plots with Frogeve leaf spot showing in mid August. In late August damage to soybean pods from soybean pod worm began to occur in scattered fields. By September 1, moderate damage appeared and treatment was made to all plots receiving both insecticide and fungicide treatments. Frogeye leaf spot was occurring on approximately 10 percent of leaves (bottom of canopy) with 20 percent leaf coverage. Black light traps and sentinel plots both showed increased insect activity during this time.
Objective 1- Evaluating Biologicals. Seed, fertilizer, and pesticides have been obtained. Plots were laid out and fertilizer and grass and broadleaf herbicide was applied preplant incorporated. Heavy rain kept us out of the field until the first week of June. Selected treatment plots were treated with Dipel at R1/R2 to determine its effect on building soybean insect populations. This would have been in early August in research plots. Insecticides were applied approximately 2 weeks later at R3/R4. Plots were harvested in mid-November and treatments were analyzed for statistical differences. Results for 2021 were as follows. Untreated checks showed significant damage from the soybean pod worm. There was a 9 percent grain yield increase from the use of Dipel alone and a 15% yield increase from the use of insecticide to control soybean pod worm.

Objective 2 – Development of practical IPM guidelines. Seed, fertilizer, and pesticides, were applied. Ground was fertilized and herbicide was applied before planting. Heavy rain delayed planting until June. All treatments have been made and sentinel and trap crops as well as scouting and black light traps have been deployed and used to determine insect and disease levels. Application of insecticide treatments were made at first appearance, early infestation and at soybean pod worm threshold levels. Scouting gave the highest yields over no scouting on both irrigated or non-irrigated soybean. Use of light traps or using first sight of moths as early warning of soybean pod worm damage were also more effective than no scouting at all. These are simple pre-emptive treatments that can indicate pod worm troubles ahead.

Objective 3. – Are our scouting models accurate enough for modern extensive agriculture. Seed and supplies have been bought and plot ground has been fertilized and worked prior to planting. Plots were planted in early June and scouting began in July with first appearance of moths in the canopy. . In this part of the study treatments were made at 0, 2, 4, and 6 day intervals after podworm threshold levels to mimic application delays. Results in 2021 indicate that delays of 4 days after treatment thresholds are reached can begin to affect grain yields. Six day intervals delay after reaching insect damage. Data indicated that waiting until threshold damage levels for treatments carry risk if application is delayed more that a few days. This may also indicate the need of air applied treatments that have been planned in advance. Even so there may be waiting lists, or product availability problems if there is heavy insect pressure in your area. Research will continue in 2021.

Objective 4. Are seed treatments the wave of the future. All seed and supplies were obtained and ground was fertilized, worked and planted. Varying seed treatments were utilized on research plots to best determine their effect on stand and grain yield. Plots were treated with insecticide and fungicide at R3/4 maturity levels. Seed treatments in 2020 gave more consistent stands and early season control of both diseases and insects. Grain yields were increased by 4.5% across all treatments.