b'Breeding Strategies for Early Planted SoybeansFarmer demands shift when the popular legume hits the dirt sooner. Sonja BegemannBY THE TIME MARCHrolls around,with varieties catered to their new pro- there were a lot of small facilities that many farmers are itching to get intoduction style. cleaned seed and they just didnt have the their planters and get the season started.right investment to maximize quality like While corn normally is first at-bat, Improve Harvest and Conditioning we do today, Schweigert adds.soybeans are quickly moving up in theThe seed genetics, treatment and infor- Some of the most important changes order and sometimes take priority overmation provided to customers who plantto seed processing include: Usingcorn fields. soybeans early is different than tradi- continuous cup elevators becauseIn some geographic regions in thetional growers. This is because the croptraditional steel grain legs can whip Midwest, each additional day growersis exposed to colder soils, diseases andsoybeans and cause mechanical damage; provide soybeans can give them up toother pests at a different time in the year. employing belt systems because augers a half bu. per acre yield increase, saysOne thing seed companies have donecan, again, cause mechanical damage Shawn Conley, University of Wisconsinis enabled even better seed quality, saysto soybeans; adding color sorters to get Extension soybean agronomist. ThatsJim Schweigert, Gro Alliance president.kick out the lower quality soybeans more been a big driving factor in the shiftTheyve invested in a lot better seed han- accurately overall to create higher quality toward earlier planted soybeansoftendling equipment, facilities and practices. lots; and working with growers who fully before they put corn in. Mechanical damage, insect andunderstand the time, effort and equip-Its a potential yield increase thatdisease damage and other process- ment investments required to growdoesnt cost a dime, it just takes a shift ining concerns could cripple early-seasonhigh-quality seed.thinking. And its a practice that is takingsoybeans. Technology for seed condition- This might take investment by grow-the upper Midwest, virtually all of theing and packaging is far-and-away betterers, so we make sure the contract we pro-Corn Belt, by storm. For seed companies,than ever before, minimizing this risk. vide is attractive enough that so they can its an opportunity to provide farmersEven if you look back five years ago,afford to meet the production standards 24/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2021'