Soybean plantng tips

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Planting is the one thing you as a grower control and getting it right is critical to high yields in soybeans.  So how can I get more yield as a grower while planting soybeans?  It’s too late to talk about early planting advantages, soil temperatures, seed treatments and row widths as those decisions are done.  What can I manage now as I have my seed (treated and inoculated of course!) in the drill or planter and have already started planting?   

Stop and get off the tractor seat and check the following things:

Soil moisture – Ask yourself if you are causing sidewall compaction or setting yourself up for crusting issues or are you increasing soil compaction? If the answer is yes or maybe to any of these questions delay planting or adapt your management to alleviate the problems. When planting into dry soils it is very important to conserve the moisture by using the packer/roller during tillage and right after planting.

Planting depth – I know you checked it when you first went into the field but check it again watching out for compacted areas such as headlands and heavy clay knolls.  It is good practice to plant for a couple of hours then get out of the tractor to stretch your legs, get some fresh air and check the planting depth and do a quick circle check of the tractor and planting unit.   Are you into moisture? The goal is place the seed approx. ½ inch into moisture.  Are you planting too shallow (less than ¾ of an inch) or too deep (more than 2 ½ inches deep)?   Check different areas of the field and different soil types.

Now that you are back in the tractor seat check the forecast (using the phone or radio).  Since you know the soil moisture conditions manage the moisture (should I get the roller to this field by the end of the day or thunderstorm in the forecast tomorrow – let’s wait and see). 

Look at your speed.  How fast are you driving? Slow down – I know the new planters are can do amazing things, the drill can crank out seeds like crazy and the air seeder, well watch it go but at your current speed are you doing a good job of planting or just a fast job.  Most of us plant soybeans way too fast.  Increased speed can affect planting depth (due to planter bounce or planeing) increased seed coat damage and loss of population accuracy to name a few.  This is not a race – adjust your speed.

It’s game time.  Do your best and let Mother Nature take over and give you the best crop ever.  Have a safe planting season.

Maximizing Granular Inoculant Performance in Air Seeders

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Granular inoculant use has increased over the last few years and for good reason.  It is convenient to use with air seeders, maintains excellent performance even under stressful conditions and is safe to use along with seed treatments.  What can you do to maximize granular performance with air seeders?

1)  Maintenance - Prior to seeding, check tank lid seals on every compartment and plastic rollers for signs of wear.  Replace any worn rollers or broken tank seals.

2)  Inoculant Requires Dedicated Tank – Do not mix granular inoculant in combination with seed, granular pesticides or fertilizers in a single tank.  To ensure correct application rates are applied, granular inoculants must be placed in a dedicated tank.

3)  Filling Air Seeder Tank – There are different types of granular inoculant formulations that are available in the marketplace.  Some can be augered into the air seeder tank, while others require the individual bags to be carried up by hand to the tank opening.  Make sure to check your product label for recommended handling.

4)  Amount of Inoculant in Tank – Granular inoculants contains living organisms that require a relatively high moisture content for survival.  These moisture levels are higher than granular pesticides or fertilizers.  It is very important to follow labeled instructions when applying rhizobium-based granular inoculants. To reduce bridging potential, DO NOT fill tank to more than half capacity.  The best approach is to match seed acres to inoculant acres to ensure you are checking inoculant tank every time you load seed.  I know you want to minimize fills ups but this strategy can help to prevent possible issues.

5)  Calibration – Metering charts on the side of your air seeder can be used as a reference point but may only indicate “inoculant” or “brand name” only.  Clay and peat based granules have different bulk densities.  When calibrating your air seeder, make sure to check bulk density of granules on the bag so that you can follow the proper line on rate charts.  It is advised to do a calibration with your inoculant at the start of every season with the bags that you have.

6)  Metering System – Regularly check metering system to ensure proper product flow.  Be especially mindful of checking your tank more often when seeding in high humidity conditions.  It is also advisable to check distributor caps regularly as there could possibly be build up on the underside of the cap.  Remember that environmental conditions may affect product flowability.

7)  Product in Tank Overnight  - Remove any unused granules from the tank at the end of the day. DO NOT allow granules to sit in tank overnight as to avoid moisture migration.

By following these recommendations you can help to maximize your crop yields.  For more information, contact your equipment dealer if you require any assistance.

Understanding Seed Treatment and Inoculant Compatibilities

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Every year I receive phone calls from retailers and growers with various questions relating to compatibility of seed treatments with rhizobial inoculants.  These questions are well founded since both rhizobium inoculants and seed treatments are placed on seed together prior to planting and there are interactions that can occur.  Seed treatments are formulated to control pathogens which can also inadvertently be harmful to rhizobia. So what do you need to be aware of in terms of seed treatment compatibilities with inoculants in order to use them together successfully?

1.       Be Aware

Know that seed treatments and inoculants can be used together in a production system provided that you do your homework.  By reading this blog you’ll be well on your way to being aware of the factors that need to be looked into!

2.   Check Compatibility of Specific Combination of Products 

We strive to keep our compatibility charts as up to date as possible.  Current seed treatment compatibility charts can be found on each of our branded websites (Nodulator® XL, Nodulator®NT, HiStick®NT). With the continual introduction of new seed treatment products to the marketplace, it is possible that our list is not all-encompassing.  Becker Underwood will only conduct compatibilities with products that have a pending or current PMRA registration number.

The first thing that you will see listed on our charts is the inoculant brand name and type of formulation whether it be liquid or peat.  Granular formulations are not listed on our charts.  One of the reasons in-furrow granular inoculants were developed was to keep the inoculant away from the chemically treated seed and this provides sufficient safety margin.

The second component to our seed treatment compatibility charts is the listing of specific seed treatments.  If you are using a “me too” version of a seed treatment that you see listed on our chart, you cannot assume the compatibility will be the same just because the active ingredients are the same.  The specific formulation process/adjuvants may differ and that can have an effect on the safe planting interval listed on our charts.

Application methods are the third factor listed on our seed treatment compatibility charts. Becker Underwood provides information on all typical application routes for biological / pesticide interaction. Select the one that reflects your practice, as shelf life recommendations can differ dependent on chosen method.  Once you correlate the specific inoculant, seed treatment and application method, you’ll arrive at your maximum safe planting interval without having to re-inoculate the seed.

3.       Follow Maximum Safe Planting Interval

The safe planting intervals listed on the seed treatment compatibility charts are the recommended maximum interval provided the inoculant has been stored according to label instructions prior to inoculating the seed.  As always, the recommendation is to plant the seed as soon as possible after the seed is treated and inoculated regardless of the maximum safe planting interval as this will maximize the number of viable rhizobia being applied to the seed.

How do you minimize time between inoculation and planting on your farm?  Please leave a comment.

Rock and Roll

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Did I miss something but when did a land roller or packer become a stone picker? Are we taking ‘character building’ jobs way from our youth and the right of passage from picking behind the wagon to picking out to the sides and then if you survived maybe you could drive the tractor.  I have realized that I have lost the battle fighting against the use of heavy smooth rollers in soybean production.  So how do we use them to create as little damage as possible?

In the blog, Surviving Drought I discussed the use of rolling as a tool to reduce soil water evaporation after tilling the ground and planting.  As a grower you do need to manage this operation.  The key is to roll as little as possible as each pass breaks down the soil structure at the soil surface.  This is a timing operation.  In a reduced tillage operation with a good cover of trash the timing is less critical as any heavy rains will be more deflected before hitting the soil surface and a reduced chance of crusting.  But what about those fields with low trash (conventional tillage or after beans or canola) timing is critical.  The other aspect is the moisture of the soil in the top couple of inches.  If the soil is moist to wet (soil pores are filled with water) rolling is going to drive air out of the soil pores and increase compaction.  By increasing compaction we can reduce soybean emergence, root growth, increase soil diseases, reduce nodulation and reduce the effectiveness of the nodulation (lack of air).  Less damage is done to soil that is too dry, but the value of rolling to reduce moisture loss is greatly reduced.  It really depends on the type of year – wet year that is tough to get planting done – compaction concerns, dry year that we are concerned about soil moisture – increased use of roller benefit drought conditions yet risk of surface crusting with heavy thunderstorm increases.

How do I manage my rolling operation on wet year?  Use patience.  Roll only once and after planting before the soybeans are near emergence (rolling can injure the hypocotyl (the hook) and reduce emergence).  Another option is to wait until the soybeans have emerged and using a smooth roller only in the heat of the day when the soybeans are ‘limper’ you can roll.  Also if you are using planting equipment that is not aggressive when planting (corn planter style) and the soil moisture is very good at the last tillage pass rolling before planting and planting into rolled ground is an option as well.  Stones maybe exposed after planting so field section maybe limited in your farming operation.

How do I manage on a dry year? Use speed. Try to till, plant and roll the field as quickly as possible conserving as much moisture as you can.  Rolling can be used as soil moisture conservation tool in these conditions.  If you cannot get all the operations done in a timely manner (less than 24 hours from start to finish) you may want to roll after your tillage pass to conserve moisture until you can get the planter to the field.

As a land roller is one big soil compactor the question is how to manage to reduce the risk of soil compaction and crusting and achieve the harvest benefits of a better source to run the combine header on?

Storage of Inoculants – in Retail Packaging and Inoculated Seed

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You’ve made your crop rotation decisions for the year and have pulled out the equipment to work on in preparation for seeding.  Shortly you’ll be making a trip to your retailer to pick up some of the crop protection and other input products you’ll need early on in the growing season.  One of those products you’ll pickup is a little different from the others.  Can you remember which one?  It’s your inoculant.  It’s different in that it contains living organisms called rhizobia that will provide nitrogen in a usable form to the plant.  Rhizobia need to be in a living state to work, so they require proper storage conditions to maintain those healthy and viable populations.

Rhizobial numbers will not increase after being put into commercial packaging.  Everyone involved in the supply chain process along with you the grower can play a role in helping to preserve viable populations of rhizobia in inoculant products.

So what can you do as a producer to help keep the rhizobia alive?  When you get the inoculant back to your farm prior to planting, make sure to store it in a cool dry location.  In general, any formulation of inoculant whether it be peat, liquid or granular should be stored below 15°C.  Every effort should be made to minimize temperature fluctuations during storage.

If you are storing a liquid inoculant product, store it as cool as you possibly can, WITHOUT allowing it to freeze (2-4oC is ideal).  This is critical for liquid inoculants in particular. 

Granular inoculants should be stored flat on a pallet (ideally stored at 8-12oC).  This will avoid direct contact with the floor as it may be cold and damp.  Be mindful not to store granules too close to direct heat sources in a storage building as it may cause moisture migration within the bag. 

Peat formulations are generally the most durable in terms of storage. Ideal storage conditions for peat formulations are 0-5oC, although they can tolerate sub-zero storage conditions.

Liquid Extender that is sold in conjunction with liquid soybean inoculants (HiStick® N/T Liquid or Nodulator® N/T Liquid) does not contain any rhizobia, however proper storage conditions should also be maintained to ensure product performance.  Keep Liquid Extender from freezing and avoid storing at high temperatures.

Whether you are picking up seed inoculated by your retailer or inoculating seed on farm yourself many of the same principles apply to keeping the inoculant on the seed viable. Once seed is inoculated, exposure to temperatures, direct sunlight and drying winds are the most important factors to control for safe storage.  Make sure to tarp your load of seed after it is inoculated or park your gravity wagon under the shade of a tree.  Even better yet, plant seed as soon as possible after inoculating in order to benefit from the highest number of rhizobia that you possibly can.  Once the seed is in the soil, it is in the best micro habitat to preserve rhizobial numbers.

If you can control exposure to temperatures and UV and plant your seed as soon as possible after inoculation, you’ll be well on your way to help preserve the full value of your purchased inoculants.

Surviving drought

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When you look into the future do you see the following headline – ‘the drought of 2012 reduces overall yields’.  Lack of snow, reduced fall precipitation, La Nina, leap year, drought conditions in southern US may have you thinking this could be the year of the drought. (US drought index)  What can we do as a producer?  It starts now by managing all the moisture we have and growing the biggest root system possible.  That is the short answer. (North America Drought Index Map)

First let’s look at how a soybean responds to drought.  Last year in many of the Canadian production area’s we experienced a late season (August) dry period and our yields were average to above average, so one may believe that they can survive any weather pattern wet or dry and produce high yields.  Not really.  It depends when the ‘stress (dry weather, excessive rain, insect, disease)’ affects the plant.  Let’s think like a soybean plant on what we could do to survive if we had an extreme stress during our lifecycle such as extreme drought. 

Planting to emergence – to avoid stress there is little we can do other than sacrifice ourselves and die (reduced emergence)

Vegetative growth – we can reduce our size of leaves and slow growth or in the extreme we would drop our leaves to survive (reduced growth – reduced area for flowering and pod set)

Reproductive stage – At this stage it is how much do we have invested in producing seed. We can produce many flowers at each node (8 to 9) and over a long period of time. The amount of flowers we set is a cheap investment and can be sacrificed easily.  If we do establish pods these are the next cheapest to sacrifice to survive as a soybean plant.  Once we get to seed development in the pod thinking like a soybean plant we have invested a lot of energy and it is the last resort that we would sacrifice these.  During pod fill only thing left we can do as a soybean plant would be to reduce the size and weight of the seeds.

Maturity – The damage is done nothing is left to sacrifice.

So what can we as a soybean grower do to conserve moisture?

1)      Reduce tillage – the less we disturb the soil the more moisture it can hold until later in the growing season.

2)      Tillage timing – if you are tilling your soil prior to planting – speed is important. Till as little as possible with minimal time between tillage passes and seal (roll, pack) if possible after the last tillage pass. Then, get the seed into the ground as quickly as possible after that last tillage pass.  View this operation in hours and minutes, not days.

3)      Patience – reduce any compaction you can by seeding or tilling at optimum or safe soil moisture. Your soil will be wetter than it looks as the soil crust and or trash has sealed in the moisture – be aware of that ‘gummy’ soil that can be easily compacted

4)      Use premium inoculant and seed treatment when planting.  We need the biggest most effective root system possible to survive drought stress by using high quality seed and seed treatment the roots stay healthy.  Same with the inoculant. By using a high quality inoculant you get better, more efficient nodulation and during stress periods higher nitrogen available compared to not using an inoculant. The added of benefit of using products like Nodulator® N/T or HiStick® N/T is the benefit of the biostacked® product that provides another beneficial biological, B. subtilis that delivers enhanced nitrogen fixation by significantly increasing plant vigour, root mass and nodule formation.

5)      Control weeds early – Use a pre-emerge or timely post-emerge to reduce the any competition over the soil moisture reserves.

6)      Fertility – insure adequate fertility especially potassium (K).  Plants depend upon K to regulate the opening and closing of stomates…the pores through which leaves exchange carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor, and oxygen (O2) with the atmosphere. (Functions of Potassium in Plants)

7)      Planting depth – this becomes a great issue if your tillage operations did not prevent excessive moisture loss in the upper inch of soil.  The soybean seed does absorb more water when planted than a grass species (corn/wheat).  That does not mean you need to plant into soil that is dripping wet.  Plant into moisture but take caution at planting depths greater than two inches.

8)      Planting date – Plant early.  If the weather is hot and dry every day that you delay planting depletes your soil moisture reserve. Do not wait for the rain that never comes.

Those are a few of my tips – What are yours?  Please leave a comment.

Legumes Require Specific Rhizobia

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I am all out of my soybean inoculant what do I do now?

Well you’ll need to look around for more soybean inoculant until you find some more.  And it needs to be soybean specific inoculant, not the species that inoculates dry beans or peas.  After all, there is no one species of rhizobia that can be effectively used to nodulate all legume crops.  The rhizobia and legume species must be matched according to the chart below.  Matching the correct rhizobia species to the specific crop kind on the chart below ensures the possibility of effective nitrogen fixing nodules to develop on the plant.

The species of rhizobia that inoculates both peas and lentils is Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viceae.  An individual strain of this rhizobial species should be able to inoculate both of these crop kinds.  While this is true, a given strain will likely be more effective on one crop kind than the other.  It is the strain contained within the commercial inoculant that makes all the difference in the world.  In some cases there can be such large differences in performance of the rhizobia strain in peas and lentils to the extent where the strain may be registered for use in only one of the two crop kinds.  To make sure you get the maximum performance out of your pea and lentil inoculant, make sure that it is registered for use in both of these crops.  After all, not all rhizobia are created equal – a topic that we discuss further in upcoming blogs.