Database Research Summaries2018 Evaluation of Fungicide Seed Treatments
Research Focus
The focus of this project is to test the effectiveness of fungicide seed treatments on soybean.
Objectives
Measure the effect of fungicide seed treatments on soybean stand, fungal disease, and yield to determine if these seed treatments are worth the extra cost.
Results
In 2018, we did not see a treatment effect on emergence. This may be accounted for by the overall later planting dates due to weather. There weren’t any significant differences in yield between treatments.
As part of the economic analysis, untreated soybean seed returned the highest average profit per acre across all research locations. Seed treatment ILeVO returned the lowest net income.
The seed treatments tested in this study did not provide any agronomic benefits and would have been an additional expense incurred on production. Based on this research, a fungicide seed treatment should be saved for use on acres planted early in the spring when soils are cool and wet and/or for fields that are prone to wet soils or have a history of soilborne and seedling diseases.
Importance
Fungicide seed treatments may have a positive effect on protecting soybeans from soilborne diseases, improve stands, increase yields, and may increase profitability compared to untreated controls.
Analysis of costs and benefits associated with these treatments specific to the Maryland region will help Maryland soybean farmers determine under what conditions the benefits of fungicide seed treatments may be worth the additional costs.
For more information about this research project, please visit the National Soybean Checkoff Research Database.
Funded in part by the soybean checkoff.
