Evaluation of Soybean Seed Treatments in Western Kentucky.

Seed treatments are designed to protect the seeds while they are in the ground and the early stage of crop growth.  This study’s objective was to test different types of seed treatments for soybean farmers in Kentucky.  Treatments that were used in this study were: 1) mefenoxam, fludioxonil fungicides, 2) thiamethoxam insecticide, 3) lipo-chitooligosaccharide, Bradyrhizobium inoculants, 4) harpin protein, 5) pyraclostrobin fungicide, 6) pyraclostrobin, metalaxyl, imidacloprid, harpin protein, 7) mefenoxam, fludioxonil, thiamethoxam, 8) ipconazole, metalaxyl, lipo-chitooligosaccharide with inoculant, 9) control, no seed treatment.  With the exception of an additional treatment, this research is a continuation of the research conducted in 2011.  Plots were planted on April 24, 2012 at a location on Murray State University’s research farms, Murray, KY.  Seven replications with all nine treatments were studied. Row spacing was at 0.381 m with an average plant population of 315,000 plants ha^-1.  Precipitation  levels were extremely  low, with only of 27.432 cm being received from April to August; a factor that this research will take into consideration.  Plots were machine harvested on 16-17 October 2012.  Due to combine mechanical problems, some plots were lost in three of the seven replications.  To recover these plots, fifteen plots were hand harvested on 19 October 2012; some to recover lost plots and some to estimate the difference between hand harvests and combine harvests.  A number of other measurements were taken during the season, including stand counts, late emergence counts, insect counts, and yield.  All these variables will be analyzed statistically.  The preliminary yield results using only the four replications with a complete machine harvested data set were analyzed; the results found no statistical difference between the nine seed treatments at the 0.05 level of significance.  The low average yield, 2416 kg ha^-1, reflects that extreme drought experienced this season.