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For soybean growers facing high seed costs and low commodity prices, any insights into reaching optimal seeding rates and planting times can help raise profit margins.    

The Plant Management Network (PMN) has released a new presentation entitled “Risk and Benefits of Changing Farmers' Common Soybean Seeding Rates” to help growers and crop consultants maximize economic returns on soybean seed investment.

The webcast, developed by Peter Kyveryga, Director of Analytics at the Iowa Soybean Association, analyzes the results of multi-year field studies measuring how seeding rates, planting time, and other factors affect yield. The data indicates that planting date was a much better predictor of improved yield and economic returns than other spatial factors such as field topography, soil composition, and row spacing.

The presentation also provides specific insights on:

• Key planting dates for seed rate testing
• Methods for alternating seed rates throughout a field
• Ideal mid-August plant population densities

The 15-minute presentation will remain open access through May 31 in the Focus on Soybean webcast resource.

The Plant Management Network is a nonprofit publisher of applied, science-based resources that help enhance the health, management, and production of agricultural and horticultural crops. Partnering with over 80 universities, nonprofits, and agribusinesses, PMN provides materials covering a wide range of crops and contemporary issues through the online PMN Education Center.

To learn about PMN’s latest articles, webcasts, and other information, sign up for the electronic newsletter, PMN Update.