Fine-Tuning Your Soybean Game Plan
Do you want to pump up your soybean game plan like world record soybean yield title holder Alex Harrell? Consider these tips from DEKALB® Asgrow® Technical Agronomist Lance Tarochione to fine-tune your herbicide, fertility, fungicide and insecticide programs.
Herbicide Program Tips
Controlling weeds in soybeans is more difficult than it once was due to herbicide resistance, label restrictions and difficult-to-control weeds. A multipronged approach that focuses more on weed management, rather than simply controlling the weeds, is required to help achieve consistent, long-term success. For no-till systems, starting with a fall burndown program is encouraged. For all tillage systems, layered residuals are required to help alleviate the pressure we put on our post-emerge products. The potential benefits of including a low volatility approved over-the-top dicamba product in your pre-emergence application can easily be seen. The benefits of dicamba as a residual are particularly evident in dry conditions without timely rains to activate primary residual products.
It’s very important to start clean and spray early. The easiest weed to control is the weed that never emerges. For systems targeting small weeds, timely, earlier applications of post-emerge products can produce increased opportunity for consistent results. Asgrow® XtendFlex® products, coupled with Roundup Ready® Xtend Technology, provide farmers the latest in weed control ease and flexibility from added tolerance to glufosinate. Preventing as many weeds from emerging as possible with pre-emergent products is key.
Consider scouting fields about 10 days after your first post-emergence application to evaluate efficacy. Climate FieldView™ can be utilized to map applications, as well as drop scouting pins. If weed escapes are evident, it’s better to know early, rather than in late June or July, before weeds are too big to control and soybeans are past the R1 growth stage.
In addition to choosing Asgrow® brand soybeans with exclusive genetics, world record soybean yield title holder Alex Harrell optimized his soybean game plan and utilized Roundup PowerMAX® 3 herbicide as a burndown and in his post-emerge application. He also used XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology, a restricted use herbicide, with Roundup PowerMAX 3 herbicide for a post-emerge application. Harrell’s record-setting soybean performance is based on the right combination of planning, products and timing.
Harrell also uses Climate FieldView to map plots, track products planted and product performance, and map activities, such as herbicide and fertility applications.
Fertility Program Tips
When thinking about your soybean fertility program, consider annual fertility applications over the traditional approach of a two-year spread ahead of corn. Begin by evaluating pH levels and maintain a soil pH level in the low to mid-6s. Test soil regularly to understand what it can supply to the growing crop. Consider incorporating tissue tests into your plan to ensure plants can absorb enough nutrients for optimum yields. Pay attention to the base saturation percentage on potassium to ensure plant-available potassium is present. Also be mindful of phosphorus and sulfur in your soybean fertility programs. It is important to focus on the basics and fine-tune them before experimenting with foliar nutrient applications. Keep in mind, plants are designed to absorb nutrients through their roots. When evaluating micronutrient needs, remember these are essential for plant growth, but micros are needed in smaller quantities than macronutrients. Tissue tests are the best way to evaluate potential need for micros.
As Harrell also recognizes, soybeans like and need fertility just as much as corn. Late-season management is a very key part of his game plan. Harrell advises to keep nutrient levels where they need to be according to tissue test results.
Fungicide + Insecticide Program Tips
When planting soybeans early and fine-tuning your game plan, it’s very important to apply seed treatments, such as Acceleron® Seed Applied Solutions, to protect yield potential and reduce severity of SDS (sudden death syndrome). Harrell uses Acceleron products on 90% of his soybeans.
An additional key consideration in optimizing your soybean game plan is applying post-emergence fungicides and insecticides for improved plant health, as well as disease and insect management. Harrell believes in being proactive, not reactive, when it comes to fungicide applications and recommends a minimum of two preventative applications regardless of where your farm is located.
Foliar fungicide applications can reduce plant stress and help manage foliar fungal disease. If white mold is a problem in your field, applying an early R1-R2 fungicide can have benefits. If your goal is general plant health benefits and overall foliar disease management, the traditional R3 timing is recommended. For maximum yield performance potential, consider more than one post-emergence fungicide and insecticide application. Not all fungicides have the same level of efficacy for all diseases. The fungicide you choose does matter, especially on diseases such as white mold and resistant frogeye leaf spot. Delaro® Complete fungicide can help you get the edge you’re looking for with a broad spectrum of disease control and three modes of action.
For more information, contact your local DEKALB Asgrow dealer or visit the official Asgrow site.
No dicamba may be used in-crop with seed with Roundup Ready® Xtend Technology, unless and until approved or specifically permitted, and no dicamba formulations are currently registered for such use in the 2024 season. Please follow https://www.roundupreadyxtend.com/pages/xtendimax-updates.aspx for status updates.
Based on Court ruling and EPA Existing Stocks Order* on XtendiMax® Herbicide registration, Bayer has stopped its sale and distribution of XtendiMax® Herbicide. Visit our XtendiMax herbicide updates page to learn the latest www.roundupreadyxtend.com/xtendimaxupdates.
*Low-volatility dicamba products subject to the ruling include XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology, Engenia® herbicide and Tavium® Plus VaporGrip® Technology herbicide.
Bayer is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Bayer products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Bayer’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. Commercialized products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship.
XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology has been classified as a restricted use pesticide and must be used with VaporGrip® Xtra Agent (or an equivalent volatility reduction adjuvant). For approved tank-mix products (including VRAs and DRAs), nozzles and other important label information visit XtendiMaxApplicationRequirements.com. Applicators must check XtendiMaxApplicationRequirements.com no more than 7 days before application of this product for additional labeling, including state restrictions. Where applicable, users must comply with additional requirements found on this website.
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS.
It is a violation of federal and state law to use any pesticide product other than in accordance with its labeling. NOT ALL formulations of dicamba, glyphosate or glufosinate are approved for in-crop use with products with XtendFlex® Technology. ONLY USE FORMULATIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELED FOR SUCH USES AND APPROVED FOR SUCH USE IN THE STATE OF APPLICATION. Contact the U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency with any questions about the approval status of dicamba herbicide products for in-crop use with products with XtendFlex® Technology.
FOR SOYBEANS SEED TREATMENT PRODUCTS APPLIED DOWNSTREAM, EACH ACCELERON® SEED APPLIED SOLUTIONS OFFERING is a combination of separate individually registered products containing the active ingredients: BASIC Offering: metalaxyl, penflufen and prothioconazole. STANDARD Offering: metalaxyl, penflufen, prothioconazole and imidacloprid. FOR UPSTREAM TREATED SOYBEANS, EACH ACCELERON® SEED APPLIED SOLUTIONS OFFERING is a combination of separate individually registered products containing the active ingredients: BASIC Offering: metalaxyl, fluxapyroxad, and pyraclostrobin. STANDARD Offering: metalaxyl, fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin and imidacloprid.
The distribution, sale, or use of an unregistered pesticide is a violation of federal and/or state law and is strictly prohibited. Not all products are approved in all states.
Performance may vary, from location to location and from year to year, as local growing, soil and environmental conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible and should consider the impacts of these conditions on their growing environment.
Products with XtendFlex® Technology contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate, glufosinate and dicamba. Plants that are not tolerant to glyphosate, dicamba, and/or glufosinate may be damaged or killed if exposed to those herbicides. Contact your seed brand dealer or refer to the Bayer Technology Use Guide for recommended weed control programs.
XtendiMax® has been classified as a restricted use pesticide. Not all products are registered for use in all states and may be subject to use restrictions. The distribution, sale, or use of an unregistered pesticide is a violation of federal and/or state law and is strictly prohibited. Check with your local dealer or representative for the product registration status in your state.
Services and products offered by Climate LLC are subject to the customer agreeing to our Terms of Service. Our services provide estimates or recommendations based on models. These do not guarantee results. Consult with your agronomist, commodity broker, or other industry professional before making financial, farming, or risk management decisions. More information at https://www.climate.com/legal/disclaimer/.
FieldView™ is a trademark of Climate LLC. Acceleron®, Asgrow®, Bayer, Bayer Cross, DEKALB®, Delaro®, Roundup PowerMAX®, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend®, Roundup Ready 2 Yield®, Roundup Ready®, VaporGrip®, XtendFlex® and XtendiMax® are registered trademarks of Bayer Group. LibertyLink logo® and LibertyLink® are trademarks of BASF Corporation. For additional product information call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our website at www.BayerCropScience.us. Bayer CropScience LP, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63167. ©2024 Bayer Group. All rights reserved.
