Trial Type
Seeding Rate/ Varieties/ Row Spacing, High Yield
General Stats
Soil Stats
Methodology
Methods
The soybean variety, Channel 2402, was either seeded in 30 in. wide rows with a planter or in 7.5 in. wide rows with a drill on June 12. The seed was untreated. Plots were seeded at either 75k, 105k, 135k, 170k, or 205k pure live seeds (PLS) ac-1. The 90% germination value from the seed tag was used to calculate PLS. The 170k seeding rate/30 in. row treatment was excluded from the trial, as we suspect the wrong rate was planted.
Results
Results
Results from this site-year suggest that if one is looking to cut seeding rates, doing so with a drill may be advantageous over a planter, especially at a seeding rate of around 105k PLS ac-1 (Table 1). The 4.5 bu yield increase at 105k PLS ac-1 drilled in 7.5 in. rows over 135k PLS ac-1 planted in 30 in. rows was different at p=0.19 (not reported in table), which by many standards is considered marginally significant. Increasing seeding rates to 205k PLS ac-1 with a drill resulted in at least a 6.6 bu ac-1 yield difference over other treatments, which could be beneficial if economic returns exceed the cost of additional seed. It’s important to note that soybean yield response to seeding rate and row spacing combinations are highly variable and that results from multiple site-years and your own on-farm testing should be taken into consideration when choosing an appropriate seeding method.
Acknowledgement
Authors: Thandi Nleya and Graig Reicks
Trial funded by South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council
