Seed: Ask A Good Question; Get A Good Crop

Jan 10, 2017

Good questions to ask your soybean seed supplier

You only get one chance to select your soybean varieties, and there's a lot to consider. Below, University of Wisconsin soybean specialist Shawn Conley, Ph.D., offers five questions you should ask your seed dealer to help you get the information you need to select the right varieties for your acres.

1. What yield data is available?

Ask for a diverse set of yield data. In addition to knowing how well the variety performed in your area last year, it’s important to look at performance data across a variety of environmental conditions. Rapid genetic turnover, coupled with weather variability, makes it critical to select varieties that perform well across environments.

2. What is the source and level of disease resistance?

Know you field history and ask about the level of resistance for key diseases. It’s also important to understand the source of resistance for key diseases, such as soybean cyst nematode, as some traits are more effective than others.

3. What seed treatment options are available?

Ask about seed treatments that can help protect varieties that may be susceptible to key pests and diseases.

4. What herbicide-tolerance traits are available?

Discuss your weed pressures and herbicide-resistance issues you face to help determine the right herbicide-tolerance traits to fit in your weed-management plan.

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.