Variable rate seeding (VRS) is a common practice among corn farmers, used to increase yields, reduce costs and improve profits. With the success of VRS with corn, farmers are now adopting the practice with their soybean crop.
Soybeans may respond differently to VRS. Used properly, higher soybean seeding rates can increase overall plant height and the height of the lowest pods, which can increase yield.
“Increasing seeding rate in low-yield zones has been beneficial in our experience,” said Dr. Ryan Van Roekel, Pioneer Field Agronomist in southcentral Iowa. “This success has led Corteva Agriscience to develop the VRS tool for Corteva Fields, which allows growers to input their average local yield standards, and see where low-yielding zones are and where seeding rates can be modified.”
Higher-than-normal seeding rates are needed to establish adequate, relatively uniform stands under challenging emergence conditions. Stand issues can be caused by a number of factors, including poor seedbed conditions, adverse weather, and disease and insect pressure. Varying seeding rates in these scenarios may help overcome these challenges and establish a uniform stand.
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