Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
May 27, 2015
CENTRAL PLAINS: Recent weather events in eastern Nebraska have forced many farmers to delay their soybean planting. As we move through mid-May, several questions have begun to emerge around plant populations and the benefits of seed treatments.
Are seed treatments still needed since soils should warm up more quickly, speeding up emergence and early growth? After experiencing near record cold and wet soils and near freezing temperatures earlier this month, it may seem hard to imagine that soil temps would warm up soon. The good news is that soils will warm up – eventually. As planting date gets delayed, the critical vegetative growing period between emergence to June 21 becomes squeezed. Soybeans put on a new node roughly every four days, or basically two nodes every week of delayed development.
Check out these comparison photos showing soybeans treated with CruiserMaxx® Beans insecticide/fungicide seed treatment combination of separately registered products grown in a greenhouse maintained at 72 degrees. The treated soybeans emerged four to five days earlier than untreated beans. The patented Cruiser® Vigor Effect helps speed up germination and early-season seedling growth regardless of soil temps. The photo above shows the plant development a week later and demonstrates the continued significantly greater growth from the treated plants.
At the Syngenta Grow More Experience Site in York, NE, we have found that regardless of planting dates, soybeans treated with CruiserMaxx Beans had 2-5 more nodes at harvest then untreated soybeans. This increase was across the April and early May planting dates. The Cruiser Vigor Effect is not just about emergence, as studies show it continues on for weeks during early development of the soybean plant. The added nodes have shown to increase yields by an average of 8.4 bushels over the past 7 years.
Bottom Line: It’s just as critical to have CruiserMaxx Beans as a minimum base treatment for soybeans regardless of when the soybeans are treated, and treating with CruiserMaxx Beans plus Vibrance® fungicide seed treatment will help soybeans reach full yield potential.
All photos are the property of Syngenta unless otherwise noted.
Reporting from Lincoln, NE
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