What is the lowest population you planted for soybeans? Previous experience with yield data?

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What was the maturity and planting dates

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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.

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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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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 wasn't for growing seed beans. The beans get bigger planting thinner. The seed company doesn't want them too big or they don't fit in the bag and guys don't like to plant beans that big because of seed disc issues.

I double planted part of one field to get rid of the seed in the planter last year. The part of the field I planted at 90,000 was 70bu beans and the part that was double planted made 50bu.

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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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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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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 calibration or something goofy happened.  We normally calibrate with each new seed, so pretty much every day or so.  But we were going to drop the population down to 165.  It ended up being closer to 140 planted. We then ended withstand of around 115-120.  Then had what looked like a wireworm  or some insect come through.  A couple different agronomist from seed companies came and looked and have never seen that before in beans up here.  So we ended with an aver population of just under 100.  The yield averaged right where it should have.  This field is probably one of our better fields and it averaged in one of the top 5 fields that year.

Now I don't think I would start dropping the population down to that yet, but we did drop our farm down to about 135 - 150 depending on the seed this year.  For the year we are having this year, cool and really wet, they dont look bad but I don't think we will have the yield due to the cool, wetness.  So we will see what happens.  We had the plans of doing a population plot this year but didn't get time to get it in.

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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 other two areas by 2 bu/ac.  The diamond pattern and the straight 160,000 pop were virtually identical.  I haven't dropped my population that much on the farm at this point, been too afraid to try it large scale.  I am down to 140,000 and occasionally, depending on the variety and the field, have dropped to 130,000.  That's the lowest I've tried.  Some of my best yields are coming from the 130-140,000 population.

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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 grown at lower plant populations, fewer seeds are needed to achieve optimum yields." See the original publication at https://store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/Understanding-Soybean-Plant-Population-Recommendations-for-Iowa-PDF

Please talk to your FBN Account Manager or DSM to explore optimal populations for F2F genetics.

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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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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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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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What is the lowest population you planted for soybeans? Previous experience with yield data?

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