Agronomist Suggests Planting Soybeans Earlier

Earlier Beans Gave Higher Yields In Champaign Area

IVESDALE, ILL.
   Pioneer agronomist from the Champaign, Illinois, area Mike Hellmer is trying to get growers to think about planting soybeans earlier. Hellmer pointed out at the Pioneer 2010 field day in Ivesdale, Illinois that growers who are experiencing high soybeans yields are planting some soybeans in the middle of April. Hellmer stated, “We can do that nowadays because we do treat more soybean seed with fungicides and insecticide versus have naked soybeans in the past. Prior to seed treatments, we could get a lot of disease if we planted soybeans in the April cool soils. Now we can control some of these diseases with seed treatments. Growers that do plant soybeans in April in the Champaign area do have a higher risk of a killing frost in early spring.”
   Hellmer was asked about the best performers. “92Y80 is our big 2.8 early bean, then we are going to move into the 93Y05’s and Y40’s, 3.0, 3.4 beans, respectively; late season Y60’s and the new 93Y82’s. We have a little bit more supply of these Y82’s this year because it was such an improvement in yield over what we were currently doing in the late 3.”






















   Hellmer praised Accelerated Yield Technology (AYT) technology. “Our breeders have really discovered some important genes that are responsible for yield. Pioneer has been so successful in soybeans in the last few years; it is because our breeders can bring us high yielding soybeans quicker than they used to. In the past, it was kind of an art. In the experiment yield nurseries, you ran the plot combines on strips and you might have some insects, diseases or environmental differences in those small plots which might affect the yield outcome of the strip. Now, our soybean breeders can just leaf punch the soybean strips and check DNA to make sure certain genes responsible for yield and defensive traits, are advanced. It takes the guesswork out of it. So, I think that is why our scientists can bring us better beans.” Δ
   REGINA LAROSE: Associate Editor, MidAmerica Farmer Grower