Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76nutrient and water uptake, it won’t be able to fill as much and results in a lower yield. Ireland explains that until the plant is 2 to 3 feet tall, the root system underground should be just as big or bigger than the plant above the ground. When soybeans flower, if the plant doesn’t have a good root system, it will begin to kick off flowers or pods if it’s under stress. Conley says that you could have a great look- ing crop that doesn’t visually show stress, but there could be a lot fewer pods out there than one might suspect. Ireland says cotton, which also has multiple fruit positions, is especially sensitive to photo- synthesis and chlorophyll. “For the plant to be able to produce enough carbohydrates and sugars, it needs a good healthy root structure to pull the nutri- ents it needs,” he says, noting that without that, yield poten- tial is limited. But it all starts with planting the seed. What’s Happening Below Ground? Certainly genetics are an important foundation, so we’re focused on protect- ing those genetics, Ireland says. “When you think about seed, it has the most genetic potential sitting in the bag,” he adds. “Once it’s out of the bag, there are a number of things that begin stressing the seed, both biotic and abiotic.” Greg Ginisty, a Bayer SeedGrowth product manager, agrees. “Everything tries to reduce genetic potential after it’s out of the bag,” he says, noting that seed treatments can really complement genet- ics. “Very few traits exist to control secondary insects, and that’s where seed treatments can make a big difference.” Conley notes it’s important to recognize that growers have cut back on their seeding rates. “Four or five years ago, it was a 50-pound bag of seed; now it’s 140,000 seeds per bag, and each seed has a value,” he says. “The seed costs more money, so they are putting less of it out there and putting it out there earlier.” According to “Benchmarking soybean production systems in the North-Central USA,” a report put together by the University of Wisconsin, Madison; University of Nebraska, Lincoln; and the North Central Soybean Research Program, most farmers are planting 140,000 to 160,000 seeds per acre. Roughly five years ago those farmers were planting 170,000 to 200,000 seeds. That’s 30,000 to 40,000 fewer seeds in the ground. When that seed is planted into the soil, it’s exposed to a number of stressors. First, as farmers look to plant earlier and earlier, the soil tempera- ture is colder and often wet. Depending on location and crop cycle, there might be Pythium, Phytophthora, nema- todes or other subterranean destructors. Minus the variability of the weather, Conley says the biggest concern is seedlings’ susceptibility to Pythium. According to the University of Illinois Crop Sciences Department, Pythium occurs in wet, cool conditions and in low, poorly drained areas, par- ticularly on clay, compacted soils. The soilborne, fungal-like pathogen can attack and rot seeds and seedlings prior to emergence and can cause post-emergence damping off under wet conditions. Symptoms include soft, brownish-colored rotting tissue. In established plants, secondary roots can be soft and rotted. SEPTEMBER 2016 SEEDWORLD.COM / 27 Right: To better demonstrate how various seed treatments can improve root growth, Syngenta has been using what it calls a “rhizotron.” The soil in the rhizotron has been infected with rhizoctonia, and you can see the difference between a seed that has been inoculated and one that has been left untreated. ENDORSED BY