A soybean seed treatment provided a yield bump but did not show much effect on soybean cyst nematode egg counts in 2017 and 2018, according to data from the University of Missouri Strip Trial Program.
As part of the trial, MU researchers studied the effect of ILeVO seed treatment on SCN egg counts and yield. They conducted trials in 19 locations in 2017 and 10 locations in 2018.
MU Extension plant pathologist Kaitlyn Bissonnette says initial data show that ILeVO did not consistently reduce SCN egg counts and in some cases slightly increased egg counts.
“In the strip trials, we observed quite a bit of variability in SCN egg counts even within a field and between treatments,” Bissonnette says.
The data is consistent with small-plot research at Iowa State University and results reported by the Iowa Soybean Association OnFarm Network.
Researchers took soil samples the first week of planting and the week of harvest to measure the number of SCN eggs in the soil.
View the complete soybean cyst nematode trial results here.
Foliar fungicide trials
In another crop-protection strip trial, Bissonnette looked at whether a fungicide applied to soybeans at the R3 growth stage effectively reduced foliar disease.
The dry 2018 growing season contributed to the low levels of foliar disease. Septoria brown spot was observed at all 10 locations, and frogeye leaf spot was observed at eight locations, but levels of both diseases were low.
At one location where a susceptible variety of soybean was planted, frogeye leaf spot severity was greater in the untreated strips than the fungicide-treated strips. At all locations, researchers found no yield difference between treated and untreated strips.
View the fungicide trial results here.
About the MU Strip Trial Program
Farmers use their own equipment to conduct on-farm research in their own fields. Participating farmers work with a specialist from the University of Missouri Extension or other crop consultant of their choice to guide the planning, implementation and methodology used for the trial.
This extra guidance helps ensure growers receive a reliable, statistically valid and unbiased evaluation of a particular practice, method or idea.
The University of Missouri Extension contributed this article.