Seed treatments advance beyond the basics

In recent years, there has been a shift in how soybeans are treated. In the past, if a grower desired a seed treatment, he or she would have a small selection of options to be treated by the seed company, and it was typically delivered to the dealer with the treatment applied.

Now, many input suppliers such as MFA have invested in their own seed treaters. Seed is shipped untreated, and the dealer is responsible for ordering treatments and applying them. There also are many more treatment products available. These changes have made the process of choosing the right seed treatment much more complex.

These days, it’s standard practice to treat soybeans with a basic fungicide for early-season disease protection along with an insecticide to defend against early-season insects. But protection shouldn’t stop there. It’s important to keep in mind additional seed-treatment options for control of soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and sudden death syndrome (SDS) that have come on the market in recent years. Inoculants and other biological products need to be considered as well. Many newer products have mul­tiple active ingredients that cover several of these needs in a single package. While pre-mixed treatments can certainly simplify the selection process, it is important to understand what is in the package compared to the needs of the farm.

Understanding the basics of seed treatment is key to selecting the right product for your farm. There are more active ingredients available now along with blends of mul­tiple active ingredients. Identify the driver pests and the strengths and weaknesses of pest tolerance in the specific variety to be planted. Be aware of possible diseases in the upcoming season that could cause stand and yield losses. Early-season pathogens such as pythium, phytophthora and rhizoctonia can be controlled with seed treatments.

Perhaps the most important factor in controlling these pathogens is ensuring the treatment includes effective rates of an active ingredient or multiple active ingredients to control the targeted diseases. The same is true for choosing the right insecticide component. Insects of concern early in the season are grubs, maggots and the first generation of bean leaf beetles. The treatment you select should contain the right ingredients at the right rates to control these target insects.

Many new treatment products are available for control of SDS and SCN. Field history of these diseases must be considered when deciding whether to use these products. Soil samples can also help determine the presence and potential severity of SCN. Seed-treatment products such as Votivo and Clariva are available for SCN control. Illevo has become popular for control of SDS in recent years. Saltro is another new option for SDS control. MFA agronomists are looking closely at this product to gain better understanding of its efficacy.

Biological products should also be considered in a seed-treatment package. Innoculants con­taining rhizobia, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, have been commonly used for years. These products assist naturally occurring rhizobia in the soil. More recently, products with different microbes have become available. These may assist with root growth and help capture soil nutrients along with other benefits.

Innoculants continue to be improved, but it is important to understand the live and active rhizobia levels in the product to help gauge its effectiveness. When choosing biological seed treatments, first determine if the needs of the farm match up with the benefits that these prod­ucts provide.

At MFA’s crop research sites this year, we are testing several new seed-treatment products and evaluating new active ingredients, blends of ac­tive ingredients and biologicals. We look at these products throughout the season and finish with yield analysis. In our fungicide and insecticide trials, we evaluated soybean stands along with efficacy against driver insects and diseases. In the biological trials, we are determining how these products provide benefits to the soybeans both above and below ground.

Final yield is perhaps the most important aspect of these trials. With this extensive testing, our primary goals are to learn more about the new products available and to use that informa­tion to make the best recommendation for our growers.

With the increasing complexity in making seed-treatment selections, it is good to have expertise backed by research as part of the deci­sion-making process. The choice of seed treat­ment is an important component of your annual cropping plan. MFA’s key account managers, location managers and agronomists are prepared to advise growers in choosing the right products for their farms.