Stepping-up Soybean: Production, Profits, & Quality

1. Stepping-up Soybean: Production, Profits, & Quality Laura Lindsey, Greg LaBarge, Harold Watters, Steve Prochaska, Libby Dayton

2. Stepping-up Soybean • Funded in 2013 by Ohio Soybean Council • Co-PIs- Laura Lindsey, Greg LaBarge, Harold Watters, Steve Prochaska, Libby Dayton • Other key personnel- John McCormick, graduate student, Extension Educators

3. What can we add to increase soybean yield?

4. What existing factors decrease soybean yield?

5. What can we add to increase soybean yield? Extend information to Ohio soybean growers What existing factors decrease soybean yield?

6. Extension Educators 1. Omission Trials • On-farm (large plot) research 2. Statewide survey of yield-limiting factors • Help identify cooperators • Help collect soil/plant samples and yield information

7. NASS

8. Ohio soybean yield increased 0.37 bu/ac per year from 1924-2012

9. Ohio soybean yield increased 0.37 bu/ac per year from 1924-2012 U.S. soybean yield increased 0.34 bu/ac per year from 1924-2012

10. What will it take to get 100 bushel beans? • Theoretical maximum soybean yield = ??? bu/ac • Assumes maximum photosynthetic efficiency • Assumes minimum respiratory losses • Assumes perfect weather, no pest pressure….no yield-limiting factors de Wit 1967

11. What will it take to get 100 bushel beans? • Theoretical maximum soybean yield = 335 bu/ac • Assumes maximum photosynthetic efficiency • Assumes minimum respiratory losses • Assumes perfect weather, no pest pressure….no yield-limiting factors de Wit 1967

12. What will it take to get 100 bushel beans? • If trend for Ohio continues….we’ll see an 11.1 bu/ac yield increase by 2042. • Increase state average to ~56 bu/ac • If trend increases by 0.5 bu/ac per year….we’ll see a 26.1 bu/ac yield increase by 2042. • Increase state average to ~71.1 bu/ac • To reach a state average of 100 bu/ac by 2042…we’ll need an increase of 3.3 bu/ac per year.

13. What will it take to get 100 bushel beans? • Limitations to increasing soybean yield compared to corn: • Symbiotic relationship between soybean and rhizobia bacteria • Protein and oil = a lot of energy to produce

14. What will it take to get 100 bushel beans? • Soybean yield gains are occurring in Ohio. • Why? • Genetic improvement • Estimated 0.14 to 0.28 bu/ac per year yield increase • Agronomic improvement • Estimated 0.9 to 0.23 bu/acre per year Specht et al. 1999

15. What will it take to get 100 bushel beans? • Soybean yield gains are occurring in Ohio. • Why? • Genetic improvement • Estimated 0.14 to 0.28 bu/ac per year yield increase • Agronomic improvement • Estimated 0.9 to 0.23 bu/acre per year Specht et al. 1999

16. What will it take to get 100 bushel beans? • Genetic technology- Adopted by producers as soon as it becomes available • Agronomic technologies • Lengthy learning curves • Implementation requires capital expenditures (e.g., combine yield monitors, global positioning system software, etc) • Different every year/every location Specht et al. 1999

17. Stepping-up Soybean Project Objectives • Determine which management practices lead to higher soybean quality traits and yield using a new type of experimental design called an “omission trial” • Determine yield-limiting factors through a statewide survey of soil quality, pests, and management practices using multivariate statistics • Inform and train Ohio soybean growers to identify yield-limiting factors on a field-by-field basis through soybean workshops and use of digital media.

18. Objective #1 Determine which management practices lead to higher soybean quality traits and yield using a new type of experimental design called an “omission trial”

19. Justification • Study factors: • Rhizobia inoculant • Fungicide • Insecticide • Manganese foliar fertilizer These study factors have been evaluated…. but not in a single, comprehensive study

20. Omission Trial • Omission trials • Relatively new type of experimental design and analysis • Overcome limitations of traditional statistical approaches • We will use omission trials to assist growers in evaluating the cost of agronomic practices against their yield increasing potential

21. Corn Omission Trials • Dr. Fred Below used omission trials to help determine which factors influence corn yield on his quest for 300 bushel corn. • Dr. Robert Mullen and graduate student used omission trials for Ohio corn production.

22. Soybean Omission Trials • Some soybean omission trials have been conducted in other states • None have been conducted in Ohio • We propose conducting trials at nine locations in Ohio for two years • Limitations… • Cannot study interactions • No information about application timing or rate

24. Nine Ohio Locations

25. Measureables • Visual disease and insect ratings • Dr. Anne Dorrance, Dr. Andy Michel, and Dr. Ron Hammond • Plant tissue manganese • Chlorophyll, gas exchange, fluorescence • Pending funding from OARDC SEEDS grant • Soybean yield components • Protein and oil content

26. Large-plot Research • Inputs will be evaluated using large-plot research • Ohio Soybean Council has already funded 10 on-farms trials for 2013 • Trials will evaluate 1-3 treatments of omission trial

27. Objective #2 Determine yield-limiting factors through a statewide survey of soil quality, pests, and management practices using multivariate statistics and principle component analysis

28. Regional Differences .

29. Justification • We can use statistics to identify factors that are limiting yield in Ohio. • Similar procedure to Dr. Libby Dayton’s Phosphorus Risk Index study • Management practices (paper survey) • Soil quality (sample collection) • Plant nutrition (sample collection) • Pest pressure (visual ratings and sample collection) • Yield (from yield monitors)

30. Data Collection Management Practices Soil Quality Texture, bulk density, compaction Nutrients, pH, carbon Organic matter • Crop rotation/cover crops • Tillage • Manure/fertilizer application • Drainage • Variety selection/seeding rate/row spacing • Etc….

31. Data Collection Plant Nutrition Pests Soybean cyst nematode Diseases Insects Weeds • Macronutrients • Micronutrients Potassium-deficient soybean, 2012

32. Data Collection

33. Methods • Collect samples from 60-70 soybean fields in 2013, 2014, and 2015 • Soybean fields will include: • Fields where OSU on-farm research is currently being conducted (Soybean Performance Trials, Extension research, Phosphorus Risk Index Study, etc.) • Fields as identified by Extension educators/field specialists • Volunteers at winter Extension meetings

34. Methods • “Kits” will be given to cooperators (faculty, graduate students, Extension educators, field specialists, etc) • Kits will contain sampling protocols and sampling materials • Kits will include postage and be mailed to Columbus for analysis

35. Field Locations % of Soybean Acres 10-15 fields in District 10, 20, 40, and 50 5-10 fields in District 30 and 70 2-6 fields in District 60, 80, and 90

36. Data Analysis • A very robust dataset will be collected and analyzed with assistance from the Ohio State Statistical Consulting Service • What kind of information will be generated from this type of dataset??????????

37. What kind of information will be generated from this dataset? Univariate Statistics Multivariate Statistics Examines many factors More of a “systems” approach • Tests one factor at a time • Traditional experimental design

38. What kind of information will be generated from this dataset? • What are the yield limiting factors for Ohio soybean fields? (By growing region) • How do yield limiting factors interact? • How does soil quality influence yield? • How does pest pressure influence yield? • How do management practices influence yield?

39. What kind of information will be generated from this dataset? • What are the yield limiting factors for Ohio soybean fields? (By growing region) • How do yield limiting factors interact? • How does soil quality influence yield? • How does pest pressure influence yield? • How do management practices influence yield? yield = soil nutrient * pH * bulk density * drainage * organic matter

40. What kind of information will be generated from this dataset? • Soil fertility/plant nutrition information will also generated • Identify emerging soil fertility/plant nutrition problems • Identify areas with a problem for further studies

41. What kind of information will be generated from this dataset? • Soil fertility/plant nutrition information will also generated • Identify emerging soil fertility/plant nutrition problems SULFUR

42. Sulfur Cycle SO2 SO4-2 Soil Solution SO4-2 Soil Organic Matter SO4-2 S0 S-2

43. Sulfur Cycle SO2 SO4-2 Soil Solution SO4-2 Soil Organic Matter SO4-2 S0 S-2

47. What kind of information will be generated from this dataset? • 60 bu/acre soybeans remove approximately 11 lb S/acre • 1994 atmospheric deposition ~ 7 lb S/acre • 2010 atmospheric deposition ~ 4 lb S/acre Atmospheric sulfur deposition is less than crop removal. Will sulfur applications be needed in the future? A STATE SURVEY OF PLANT TISSUE FOR MACRO- AND MICRONUTRIENTS WILL HELP IDENTIFY POTENTIAL PROBLEMS.

48. Objective #3 Inform and train Ohio soybean growers to identify yield-limiting factors on a field-by-field basis through soybean workshops and use of digital media. Extend information to Ohio soybean growers

49. Inform and Train Soybean Website Mobile Apps Possible apps: Insect ID Disease ID Variety selection • Feature digital media library of pictures/videos • FactSheets • Online decision making tools

50. End of Study Deliverables • Does inoculant, fungicide, insecticide, manganese foliar fertilizer, and nitrogen fertilizer increase soybean quality and yield? • What factors influence Ohio soybean production? • Publish results in a “yield-limiting guide”