Use of Alternative Methods to Promote Yield Increase in Soybean.

Use of Alternative Practices to Promote Yield Increase in Soybean Evan B. Sonderegger, Timothy M. Shaver, James E. Specht, Charles S. Wortmann, and Greg R. Kruger Achieving high yields in soybean requires frequent monitoring and intensive management of several agronomic factors. Recently, there has been interest in using alternative practices to help maximize these high yields. Practices include attempting to breaking apical dominance to induce branching, using a combination of fertilizer packages both in furrow and foliar applied, and the use of seed treatments to promote early stand establishment and plant health. Eight treatment combinations were used in a randomized complete block design with four replications at each of four locations in Nebraska (Bancroft, Clay Center, Cortland, and Elba). Full treatment included 5.61 kg starter N ha-1 in the seed furrow, a foliar application of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium (NPK), and other micro nutrients at the R2-3 stage, seed was treated with BioForge, seed was also treated with Optimize 400, finally at the V2 growth stage, the apical meristem was clipped with a lawn mower. Subsequent treatments omitted one aspect of the full treatment. In one treatment, clipping of the apical meristem was replaced by applying lactofen at 876 ml ha-1. A control with no added inputs was also included. Data was analyzed in SAS using proc glimmix. The control had the highest grain yield with 4,417 kg ha-1 and the full package of treatments had the lowest grain yield with 3,906 kg ha-1. Treatment significantly reduced grain yield when compared to the control. Using these treatment methods in combination did not increase yield.