Addressing soybean and other concerns
By Diego Flammini, Farms.com
As soybean growing season continues, growers are continually challenged with issues including weather, timing of fungicide applications to battle white mould and how to increase yield.
Lydia Harrison, Technical Support Representative with Bayer CropScience agreed to answer some of the pressing issues facing growers during the 2015 growing season.
Question: Continuous soybean production is a management decision many growers in Ontario and Quebec decide to take. However, planting the same crop may result in yield loss after the first year. How can this be prevented?
Lydia Harrison: Planting the same crop year after year is known to have an impact on yield. Diversify your rotation by including cereals, beans, corn and forages. Data from the University of Guelph shows having a healthy crop rotation can impact yield positively. A 30-year study at the Elora Research Centre shows an increase of 5 bu/ac in soybean yield when multi-crop rotation is used.
Q: Growers are working with a small window of time known as R1 timing, when they should be applying a fungicide for it to be effective. What should growers look for when scouting at R1 timing?
LH: If you are unsure whether or not you should spray, take into account the environment as well as field history when making your decision. Is the weather conducive to disease development around flowering? Did you plant narrow rows or high plant populations? Is the variety you planted susceptible to any diseases? Does the field have high fertility? Does the field have a history of white mould? Were white mould susceptible crops such as canola planted recently? Are extension personnel warning of a year with high disease potential? If you have said yes to one or more of these questions, you should apply a foliar fungicide with superior white mould protection, such as Stratego PRO at R1, as this will protect the majority of flowers from white mould infection. Those targeting leaf diseases should apply later (R2-R3) as leaf disease infection is typically later in summer (August).
Q: What should growers look for to confirm if they’re in a high yield environment?
LH: High fertility, dense, lush canopies and ample moisture can be signs of high yield environments but can also be signs of disease development.
Q: What would you recommend to farmers to face the increase in resistance to glyphosate?
LH: Crop rotation, tillage, planting certified seeds and cleaning equipment between fields. Crop rotation allows you to apply different chemistries each year and allows you to apply at different times of the year. For example, planting winter wheat helps target winter annual weeds like Danelion and Canada fleabane.
Q: How should growers prepare their crops this year, seeing as white mould was a concern last year?
LH: Scout early and be ready to apply a foliar fungicide with strong white mould activity. Application should be made when you can target as many flowers as you can. Broadleaf weeds may also act as a host for white mould so don’t forget to control them too.