Evaluation of Various Types of Seed Treatment for Soybean Production in Kentucky.

Numerous types of seed treatment options are available for soybeans, making it difficult for the producer to know which will be the most cost efficient and most beneficial product to use. Therefore, this study aims to test the different types of seed treatments and evaluate them for the Kentucky soybean producer. Research was conducted at two locations (A & B) on Murray State University’s farms testing eight seed treatments. The treatments included: 1) mefenoxam and fludioxonil fungicides, 2) thiamethoxam insecticide, 3) lipo-chitooligosaccharide and Bradyrhizobium inoculants, 4) harpin protein, 5) pyraclostrobin fungicide, 6) combined pyraclostrobin, metalaxyl, thiamethoxam and harpin protein, 7) combined mefenoxam, fludioxonil and thiamethoxam and 8) untreated control seed. The first experimental location, A, was planted 19 May 2011 and consisted of all eight treatments with six replications. At location B, the second experimental location, consisted of eight treatments with four replications.  A portion of the treatments were planted 8 June 2011, while the other treatments were planted 13 June 2011 because of a delay due to mechanical problems. This delay at location B will be taken into consideration when analyzing the results.  Both locations were planted with 30 inch rows at a population averaging 315,000-320,000 seeds hectare^-1. Location A was harvested on 10-12 October 2011, and B was harvested 17 October 2011. Throughout the growing season, stand counts, insect counts, height, lodging and yield data were taken and will be statistically analyzed.