Ferrie: Seed Treatments And Hybrid, Variety Selection Decisions For 2021
If you’re ready to put 2020 in the rearview mirror and start planning for 2021, you have a lot of company. Farmers are already contacting Farm Journal Field Agronomist, Ken Ferrie, to discuss their initial cropping plans as well as the pros and cons of seed treatments.
For soybeans, the answer Ferrie gives on whether to treat depends on a couple of things. “Are you planting early?” he asks. “Does the field have a history of seedling disease problems?”
If the answer is yes to either of those questions, then treatment is likely to pay for itself.
Because early planting conditions are commonly cold and wet they form an ideal scenario for disease problems, including Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS). The disease, which is caused by the soilborne fungus Fusarium virguliforme, has two phases – a root rot phase and a leaf scorch phase, which occurs during reproductive stages, Ferrie says.
Cold, wet conditions in spring encourage the fungus, which overwinters in crop residue, to readily infect young soybean roots soon after germination. The fungus will remain in the roots while the plant continues to grow. During the late vegetative or early reproductive stages, the fungus produces a toxin that moves up through the plant to the leaves where it produces the common foliar symptoms.
“SDS can wipe out a plant in a short amount of time as well as large areas within the field,” says Ferrie, owner of Crop-Tech, Inc., Heyworth, Ill. Worse yet, there’s little you can do about SDS, once the crop reaches the reproductive stage. “The only management option you have at that point is to adjust your yield expectations,” he adds.
If you believe your fields don’t have an issue with SDS, Ferrie says to not simply make that assumption. “Be sure to check your scouting reports and field inspection history for this year and the past 10 years of reports,” he advises.
In addition, if a field has a history of seedling blight issues, usually due to poor drainage, Ferrie would recommend treating the field no matter when you expect to plant it.
“In wet years, a seed treatment can eliminate a lot of replanting; adding insecticide into the treatment mix will give you a little more protection on those earlier beans,” he says. “If the field has not been in beans for the last three years, I would inoculate them. Let's make sure this bean can produce its own
Nitrogen (N).
“Other fields where I would inoculate would be acidic ones. Some of the new ground we sampled this fall had some ferocious pH issues. If these acid fields are going to soybeans, I would recommend inoculating them as it's hard for the rhizobia bacteria to survive,” he adds.
Ferrie says the standard seed treatments available in corn seem to be doing a good job when it comes to managing disease. “The insecticide package you add to it should be driven by the pest team scouting reports for each field,” he says.
In addition, questions Ferrie says you should ask yourself include: Are you going to be dealing with secondary insects? Wireworms? Grubs? Do you have a rootworm issue out there, or a projected cutworm issue if you’re planting in a cover crop?”
One farmer told Ferrie it took 45 days for his corn to emerge this past spring and start growing. His question: “Should I kick the rate of fungicide up in-furrow to help this situation?” Ferrie’s response: “Boys, don’t put your corn in that situation. Plant with a soil thermometer and a future forecast not by the calendar.”
Variety and hybrid selections for 2021 are also generating a lot of discussion between farmers and Ferrie. In this week’s Boots In The Field podcast, Ferrie provides some specific strategies for how you can make good decisions about which hybrids and varieties to plant, based on your specific soil types and management practices. This is information you don’t want to miss – get the details here:
Ferrie: Seed Treatments And Hybrid, Variety Selection Decisions For 2021
Ferrie: Don’t Screw Up The 2021 Crop Just To Mark Anhydrous Applications Off Your To-Do List
Put Together Your 2021 Crop Mix Puzzle
Young Farmer’s Giant Strip Trials Reveal Corn, Soybean Truth
