NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

November 25, 1998

Biotech Soybeans Should Boost North Dakota No-Till Production

Genetically engineered plants, such as Roundup Ready soybeans, are already on the market, but it likely will be a few more years before there is a plentiful supply of varieties from which North Dakota soybean producers can select. As the availability of Roundup Ready soybeans for this region increases, the number of no-till soybean acres should grow as well, says a plant scientist at North Dakota State University.

"The window is there, with soybeans, for a herbicide burn-down prior to planting," says Duane Berglund, extension agronomist at NDSU. "In North Dakota, I see a real opportunity for no-till soybeans in our marginal growing areas where the soil types or precipitation levels are not as good."

No-till soybean production in North Dakota went from 75,019 acres in 1997 to 91,517 acres in 1998, according to the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) in West Lafayette, Ind. With 1.7 million acres of soybeans planted in North Dakota in 1998, current no-till production represents less than 6 percent of the total.

Soybean producers who use no-till practices can save the equivalent of 2 or 3 inches of moisture during the growing season, Berglund says. That additional moisture can be critical during the pod-development and bean-filling growth stages.

But because soils remain cooler in the spring with a no-till system, producers should delay their soybean planting and plant shallower, between three-quarters and 1 inch deep, Berglund says. In addition, no-till producers should increase their soybean seeding rates by 10 to 15 percent.

The spring of 1998 produced ideal conditions for no-till soybean production, but an opposite scenario occurred in 1997. With a cold, wet spring, as was the case in 1997, no-till soybean producers run a greater risk of getting a stand established. Berglund says, "It may push you too late into the season. With no-till, you should be looking at planting soybeans sometime from May 15 to the 25th in most areas of the state."

Depending upon weed pressure and the species present, producers using Roundup Ready soybeans may need to make one burn-down treatment prior to planting. In other situations, one or two applications in the growing soybean crop may be all that is necessary. And in some cases, no-till producers may still want to fall apply broadleaf granules of Sonalan (ethalfluralin) or trifluralin. Berglund advises minimal incorporation of granules, either with a light harrow or rotary hoe.

According to the CTIC, U.S. research shows that using a conservation tillage system, such as no-till, can save as much as 225 hours and 1,750 gallons of fuel per year on just 500 acres.

"You're really substituting herbicides for fuel," Berglund says.

The fewer trips involved with no-till production also saves an estimated $2,500 on machinery wear, according to the CTIC. However, the biggest gain may be in the cumulative effect of increased organic matter and improved soil structure. Conservation tillage (no-till, strip-till, ridge-till and mulch-till) systems involve leaving all or part of the current year's crop residue on the soil surface so that 30 percent or more of the residue remains on the surface after planting.

But seed cost is a factor soybean producers will need to scrutinize closely before switching to no-till, Berglund says. Roundup Ready soybeans are more expensive than conventional public varieties, and there is a $6.50 technology fee added to each 50-pound bag. Yields of conventional and Roundup Ready varieties should be comparable, but NDSU researchers have not conducted any comparison trials.

Berglund says one final consideration soybean producers may want to weigh before switching to a no-till system is root-disease problems. In wetter soybean-producing areas, no-till simply may not be viable until weather patterns change.

Soybean producers desiring more information about no-till production practices can request a copy of "Profitable Midwest No-Till Soybean Production" (No. 580), a North Central Region extension publication. Copies are available by calling the NDSU distribution center at (701) 231-7882. The $4-per-copy charge includes shipping and handling.

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Source: Duane Berglund (701) 231-8135

Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136