1. Purdue-Indiana Seed Industry Forum: Crop Production Shawn P. Conley

2. Research and Extension PI’s and Staff
7 Faculty
Shawn P. Conley
Bob Nielsen
Tony Vyn
Sylvie Brouder
Brad Joern
Dev Niyogi
Jim Camberato
3 technicians
13 graduate students

3. Application Technology and Plant Health Promotion

7. Spray Canopy Penetration
Growth stage at application
Height in canopy (in.) R1 R3 R5
Spray coverage (%)
8.5
2.0
1.1 12
62.4
2.5
1.0 24
90.9
21.0
4.4 35 -
59.6
49.9 47
70.4
LSD (0.05)
9.8
3.3
4.1

8. Row spacing by wheel track damage
Row spacing (inches)
Non wheel track
Wheel track
Non wheel vs. wheel
Yield(bu/ac)
P-Value
7.5
70.2
64.6
P < 15
70.5
66.0 30
65.6
64.1
P ≥ 0.05
LSD (0.05)
2.3 -

9. Yield loss by boom width30
3.6% 45
2.4% 60
1.8% 75
1.4% 90
1.1%

10. Application timing by wheel track damage
Non wheel track
Wheel track
Non wheel vs. wheel
Yield (bu/ac)
P-value R1
67.9
65.8
P ≥ 0.05 R3
70.5
65.5
P < R5
68.0
63.1
R3+R5
69.8
R1+R3+R5
69.0
65.4
P < 0.005
Control
67.4
66.9
P ≥ 0.61
LSD (0.05)
3.3 -

11. Implications of Aerial Application

14. Seed Quality and Composition Data
Seed size and percent oil and protein
Uniformity
Seed vigor/viability
Disease considerations (FLS)
Late glyphosate tank-mix applications

15. Crop Phenology and Climatology
High Yield Soybean Systems
Micro-Nutrient Applications

16. Revisit Current Recommendations
Seeding rate issues
Cost
Herbicide technology
Equipment – row spacing
Seed applied technology
Validation of soybean
yield estimate tables

18. Cropping Systems Research: Some Examples
Tony J. Vyn,
with assistance from farmers, graduate
students, technicians, and colleagues

19. Corn Yield Response to Tillage and Rotation, Clay Loam, West Lafayette, IN, 1975-2004.
Corn yields are only 2% lower for no-till than for plow when corn follows soybean on this dark prairie soil. No-till more profitable than either chisel or moldboard plow in the corn-bean rotation. However, not when corn follows corn.

20. Long-term Tillage Effects on Soil Organic Matter (1975-2003, West Lafayette, IN)
Soil Depth (in)
Organic matter accumulates near the surface in no-till, but below the plowing depth (plowing to only 8-10”) in moldboard plowing. The worst tillage system from a soil C and N point of view is not moldboard, but chisel plowing.
Organic Matter (%)

21. Isoflavone concentrations at different seed yield levels.†
c b a a
Yield levels
(Mg ha-1)
c b a a
c b a a
High soybean yields result in higher concentrations of isoflavones, but no change in oil or protein concentrations. This is based on my Ontario soybean research and Dr. Yin’s work as a grad student with me. We have a lot to learn in management influence on soybean quality, but no money to pursue it in Indiana.
b b a a

22. Plant to Plant Variability in Corn
We are measuring corn growth and development daily at certain times like seedling and silk emergence to understand better why some plants have small versus larg ears. It is important that all plant yields be as uniform as possible when corn plant populations keep increasing. This is a big focus from graduate student research bu the funding has been very hard to get. We are using a bar code system (see paper tags on right) to keep track of each plant. We measured about 4000 plants per year in this very detailed way. Mainly looking at planting date, population, tillage and nitrogen fertilizer effects on plant to plant uniformity.

23. Uniform Ear Size in High Yield Corn Accepted Hypothesis:
Delayed Seedling Emergence
Shorter Plants
Delayed Silk Emergence
Most farmers think that a small ear or a barren ear is because that plant emerged later. In the extreme case (like a plant being one or two collars behind in development) that is the case. But most of our fields are emerging within 1 leaf unit of each other, and still we see big differences in yields per plant.
Delayed Maturity
Smaller ears at harvest

24. For consistent individual ear weights
Tentative Conclusions:
For consistent individual ear weights
and high yields we need to make sure
“No Plant Left Behind!” -
Emergence date
This means that all of our management needs to be focused on creating the soil conditions that give each plant an equal opportunity to access nutrients, water, etc.
Effect +
Silking Date & Plant Height
Individual
Plant Yield

25. Large Plot Corn Research Examples
Effect of uneven plant spacing and ear size characteristics on grain yield and replant decisions
Interaction between corn seeding rates and nitrogen application rates
Evaluating the consequences of one-time yield monitor calibrations on estimated grain flow rates throughout the harvest season

26. Questions