By Mike Staton, Michigan State University Extension
Michigan soybean producers have the opportunity to see how new products and production practices will perform on their farms in 2015.
2015 marks the fifth year that the Soybean Management and Research Technology (SMaRT) project will conduct on-farm research trials. The trials evaluate the effect of new products, management practices and equipment on soybean yields and income. The results of the trials are summarized and published in annual research reports in early January. The SMaRT Research Reports for 2011 through 2014 are available online at the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee website.
We are always looking for farmer cooperators that are interested in evaluating new products or practices and willing to conduct replicated strip trials on their farms. All trials are designed to be as simple as possible and yet produce meaningful and credible results. The names of our cooperators are always kept confidential.
A list of the projects we plan to conduct in 2015 is provided below. I encourage you to look over the list of projects and contact me at 269-673-0370 ext. 2562 or staton@msu.edu if you are interested in conducting one of the trials on your farm in 2015.
- Potassium thiosulfate 2x2 starter fertilizer
- Planting rate trial (80K, 100K, 130K and 160K)
- Priaxor foliar fungicide (applied at R3)
- White mold fungicides (Endura and Aproach)
- Foliar tank mixture (fungicide, insecticide and fertilizer applied at R3)
- Clariva complete beans (seed treatment for soybean cyst nematodes)
- BlackMax 22 (liquid potassium fertilizer combined with humin, carbohydrates and humic acids)
- Multi-state row spacing (15-inch rows versus 30-inch rows using the same planting equipment and population)
This article was produced by the SMaRT project (Soybean Management and Research Technology). The SMaRT project was developed to help Michigan producers increase soybean yields and farm profitability. The SMaRT project is a partnership between Michigan State University Extension and the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee.