Agronomy
What is the lowest population you planted for soybeans? Previous experience with yield data?
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There's a guy in SE Nebraska that plants 50-60,000 and gets yields from 118 to 160 bu/a. without irrigation.
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I am in Year 3 of a replicated Population (60k / 90k / 120k / 150k) vs Planting Date (4 dates each 2 weeks from the one before) vs Maturity. If I can plant a little early to on-time, population is not very important. The ROI for 60k seed rate is basically the same as 150k seed rate. Once planting date goes past ideal, boost population fast!!!
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Last year we had a planter issue and have things go wrong on a couple of fields, that ended up being a good test. We farm in NE South Dakota. We plant with an air seeder at 15" Usually we plant from 175-205k. I know it sounds crazy but we try and get some in pretty much as early as we can, so we bump the pop a little bit in case of poor germination.
Last year our air seed, went out of calib...
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Are you gonna treat them? I've tried 155, 165 and 160. yield was worse with higher pop, but going to roll with 160 this year and see what happens.
We have a replicated block trial this year with pops from 80,000 to 170,000. University of Nebraska-Lincoln will collect the data and do the statistical analysis. Will know more after harvest.
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Towards the twin cities in MN, we did some random trials of bean population and saw no significant benefit above 110,000 population, but did see a drop in yield where we were below 110k. If I remember right it was an asgrow bean, but going off memory.
In northeast NE, we have done population tests for the last eight years, and fairly consistently 140,000 is the best bang for the buck. Populations less than that really drag in years with wind and hail events. Good years, the yield will be really close and one drier year they were a little better. Higher populations just don't add yield
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What was the maturity and planting dates
I typically plant 90,000 -100000 in 30" rows. I have planted whole fields at 75,000 before to try to get it covered with the seed beans we grow when seed supply was limited. I planted the last 40a of a field once at 45000 to get it done before. We didn't see any yield penalty planting that low. Beans just get bigger healthier stems with multiple branches on them. I would plant at 75,000 if it was...
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3.4 maturity. In central IL. Planted middle of May. It was on dryer side in our area also last year.
What was the maturity and planting dates
We have planted (dropped) 130 000 seeds with no yield drag on 15" rows. Would not go that low if using a seeder.
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We tried a small plot @70k right along side of the rest of the field which was planted @140k. Everything treated the same, not seeing a gain in the heavier population the combine will tell us the difference
Hope to see a gain or the same in the lower population. Western Central Wisconsin
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The optimal pop differs by variety.
Quote from IAState, 2013 Extension Publication: "Research conducted over a number of years at Iowa State University found that soybean stands beyond 100,000 to 125,000 plants per acre at
harvest typically do not result in yield increases great enough to be economically important when the added seed cost is considered. Because soybean compensates well when grow...
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A few years ago I did a side by side, population study in soybeans. I had three zones in 20 acres. End rows were all 30" planted at a population of 160,000. Within the study area I planted an area with a population of 160,000 on 30" rows, a diamond pattern planted at 160,000 in 30" rows (each pass was 80,000 pop), and an area of 80,000 on 30" rows. I found that the 80,000 population beat the o...
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We planted at 125000 this year. Still too thick. We spread a lot of manure so white mold in the beans is a big issue.