A Strong Soybean Starts at Germination
Crops are most vulnerable right after germination. Whether it’s a below-ground insect looking for a tasty snack, or nutrients sneaking away deep in the soil, crops have much to lose in the early season.
While soybeans often take second chair to corn when it comes to fertilizer, it’s important growers don’t sleep on this crop. It can take up to six weeks for nodules to be fully formed and functional to fixate nitrogen, according to Penn State Extension.
This means the first six weeks of growth rely solely on what nitrogen is available in the soil. Over the course of the season, soybeans will use about 3.5 lbs of nitrogen per bushel—they’re a high protein crop, which is what makes them so nitrogen hungry.
When nitrogen is in an organic form, such as an amino acid, it’s easier for the plant to absorb and use the nutrient, according to a study from the University of Sao Paulo Department of Crop Science and the Centro Universitario de Patos de Minas Department of Agronomy. This is because the plant doesn’t need to assimilate the absorbed nitrogen and later incorporate it into amino acids.
Because early season growth is so critical to yield potential, getting nutrients to the plant in their optimal form can pay dividends. So, how can you help growers offset risk? Give the plant what it needs from the get-go.
The Right Start for Soybean
It starts at the seed, and while 2X2 banding can be beneficial, there might be another way to get soybeans off to a good start.
“Seed uses proteins, nutrients and amino acids to complete germination,” says Danny Groves, Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness seed treatment specialist. “While the seed is using those, they need to be replenished quickly, which results in faster germination, more uniform emergence and more robust root mass.”
Their solution? Growers are already using seed treatments to fight off other early-season disease and insect threats, why not add nutrition to the mix? Step-Up 2.0 is a nutritional seed treatment that uses amino acids and can be added to any commercial soybean treatment pre-mix.
Compared to the original, STEPUP 2.0 is a higher concentration, lower use-rate product to assist with better flow through the treater and planter. At one-half ounce per 100 weight, it’s easy to use and provides strong return on investment for retailers and growers.
The Value of A Strong Foundation
If you build a house on a foundation made of sand, you can’t expect the home to stand the test of time. If you think about crops, it’s very much the same as the seed and germination is the foundation from which the crop is built.
“The foundation is that early season growth,” Groves says. “The healthier and stronger vigor it has in the early season, the more likely it is to have a higher yield at the end of the season.”
The team at Wilbur-Ellis documents an average of 1.5 bu. per acre advantage when farmers use STEPUP 2.0. At current commodity prices, that’s a more-than $20 per acre boost with no steps at the farmgate.
For retailers, it’s a simple process to add STEPUP 2.0 in the downstream treater. It gives them a yield advantage to sell to farmers and an addition revenue opportunity.
“At the end of the day, producers need to make money,” Groves says. “This is just one more tool they can use to achieve profitability goals.”
