Reflections on the Michigan Soybean On-Farm Research Program

Mike Staton, MSU Extension Soybean Educator

As my career with MSU Extension winds down, I want to look back at the last 13 years as these were the most rewarding. During this time, I was fortunate to be part of the Michigan Soybean On-Farm Research Program, an efficient and productive partnership between the Michigan Soybean Committee and Michigan State University Extension. I firmly believe that this partnership accomplished more for soybean producers than the two organizations could have done by operating independently. Keith Reinholt created the soybean on-farm research program in 2009 and named it STARS (Strip Testing at Regional Sites). In 2011, Keith changed the name of the on-farm program to SMaRT (Soybean Management and Research Technology). Mark Seamon took over when Keith retired and changed the name one more time in 2018 to the Michigan Soybean On-Farm Research Program.

Despite the name changes, the goal has always remained the same. The on-farm program provides soybean producers with a simple way to evaluate the yield and income benefits of new products, management practices and equipment. Soybean producers and agribusinesses provide input into the topics evaluated in the trials each year, which ensures they are timely and relevant to producers.

We also make the trials as easy as possible to conduct while still producing reliable results.

I want to focus on some of the more meaningful results produced by the Michigan Soybean On-Farm Research program so far. The planting rate trials are at the top of the list. We conducted 67 trials over seven years and found that the highest planting rate (160,000 seeds per acre) was the least profitable and it out-yielded the 130,000 seeds per acre rate at only one of the 67 locations. The 100,000 seeds per acre rate was the most profitable even though the two highest rates (130K and 160K) produced the highest yields. In addition, two of the trials were infested with white mold and demonstrated that reducing planting rates to 100,000 seeds per acre can be an effective tactic for managing white mold.

The on-farm program also clearly demonstrated that early planting is a profitable practice. The 25 trials we conducted from 2019 to 2023 showed that early planting increased yields by an average of 3.5 bushels per acre at 10 of the locations and reduced yields at only three sites. Early planting produced an average yield increase of 1.5 bushels per acre across all 25 locations.

The results from the row-spacing trials we conducted can also help producers make decisions regarding their next planter purchase. The results from 11 trials comparing 15” rows to 30” rows using split-row planters showed that 15” rows produced 2.8 bushels per acre more than 30” rows.

Foliar fertilizer applications were shown to rarely produce higher yields or increase profits. In fact, foliar fertilization was profitable in only 15 of the 172 trials we have conducted since 2009. Foliar applications of manganese sulfate are the exception and are recommended when deficiency symptoms are visible.

Helping soybean producers reduce their harvest losses was another significant outcome produced by the MSC/MSUE partnership. We conducted annual field days around the state showcasing new equipment and demonstrating where harvest losses occur, how to measure them and how to reduce them. The partnership also generated numerous articles and a new MSU Extension bulletin (E-3487, Reducing Soybean Harvest Losses). These materials provide specific recommendations for reducing losses under challenging conditions such as: plants with green stems, lodged plants and short plants with low pods. We also provided economic information showing that harvesting soybeans

Row Spacing Trial

at 15 to 16 percent moisture is more profitable than harvesting at 11 percent, which encouraged producers to begin harvesting soybeans earlier.

I am grateful to the Michigan Soybean Committee for funding 50 percent of my position for the past 13 years and for giving me the opportunity to improve the lives of Michigan soybean producers. I am confident that my successor, Eric Anderson, will continue to explore new ways to meet the needs of Michigan soybean producers.