Double Crop Soybean: Seeding Rates and Seed Treatments

At this point of the season, we still have some acres of soybean yet to be planted. The majority of those acres will be double cropped soybean behind harvested wheat. Given the environmental conditions that we typically expect during this time of year, several questions have come up regarding seeding rates and/or seed treatments for June planted soybean.

Seeding Rates  

In a double crop situation, take into account the condition of the field at planting. Wheat residue can be challenging. Options for planting into wheat residue often include no-till planting, tillage, burning, or combinations thereof. Keep in mind that whatever wheat residue management option you utilize in your operation, there will likely be no agronomic impact on soybean yield. It is simply a matter of making sure you get an acceptable stand. If no-till planting into the wheat residue is the best fit for your operation, consider increasing the seeding rate by at least 10% to ensure adequate soybean stand. With that said, current recommendations for final soybean population in a late planting window such as June are 130,000 and 120,000 plants per acre for maturity group IV and V, respectively. Therefore, depending on field condition (i.e. planting into wheat residue vs. clean seedbed), maturity group selection, seed germination, and planter type, the seeding rate will need to be adjusted accordingly based on the desired final populations previously listed.

Seed Treatments

One thing to keep in mind is that regardless of planting date, we always want the crop to get off to a good start. Healthy seedlings will grow faster and be more tolerant to any adverse conditions that may occur soon after planting. Utilizing a seed treatment that contains both a fungicide and insecticide is one management option that can help with achieving an adequate soybean stand. Seed treatments can protect against seed/seedling diseases as well as early season insect pressure that may reduce the crop stand and/or seedling vigor. Soybean seed treatments can be considered an additional “insurance” to minimize the chances of having to replant. Generally speaking, a seed applied fungicide treatment allows soybean plants to emerge and produce an even stand. However, once the plant has emerged from the soil the active ingredient(s) included in the product may no longer be active on soilborne fungi. In addition, keep in mind that some seed applied fungicide products are not compatible with inoculant products.

For additional information on this particular topic, please see:

Soybean Seedling Disease and Fungicide Seed Treatment

For additional information regarding insecticide seed treatments for late planted soybean, please see:

Do Insecticide Seed Treatments Provide Value for Late Planted Soybean?