Recent soybean commodity prices have meant that any extra bushels at harvest can provide a significant boost to a farmer’s profitability.

The trouble is that there’s no shortage of field pressures ready to attack seed the moment it’s planted. And if disease or insects are allowed to harm developing soybean seedlings during the critical early growth period, it will more than likely result in reduced yield potential at harvest.

As farmers consider seed purchases for 2023, they should also be thinking of how to better protect that investment, said Brad Van Kooten, Pioneer Seed Treatment Category Leader. If added protection is what a farmer is after, a premium seed treatment can be the answer.

“The goal is to prevent pests and disease from attacking the vulnerable seed from the moment it’s planted and continuing to protect seedlings as they are trying to develop,” Van Kooten said. “Using a premium seed treatment provides an extra measure of protection for farmers’ seed investments, ultimately improving crop health, delivering fuller and more uniform plant stands and protecting yield.”

And new seed choices are pushing yield potential to new heights. This season, farmers got their first opportunity to plant new Pioneer® brand A-Series Enlist E3® soybeans. These highly anticipated varieties, exclusive to Pioneer, combine Enlist^® trait technology with the world-class genetics of Pioneer brand A-Series soybeans. The genetics in A-Series soybeans are the highest-yielding Pioneer has ever introduced. In 2021, A-Series soybeans delivered a 3 bushels-per-acre yield advantage against all competitors.¹ 

Thankfully, farmers also have several enhanced seed treatment options in soybeans to protect those higher-yielding varieties. But it’s critical to choose the right recipe to ensure optimal results.  

Maximize Your Seed Treatment ROI

Van Kooten said that just as with all crop inputs, farmers should be focused on getting the best possible return on investment with seed treatments. He shared three tips to consider as farmers consider their options:

In fields with early season pest pressure, Lumiderm® insecticide seed treatment contains a novel Group 28 insecticide mode of action. This new treatment shields soybean seedlings against twice the number of insect species compared with Gaucho^® seed treatment, adding cutworms, white grubs, thrips and wireworms to the spectrum of control, along with a consistent 1 to 3 bu/A yield advantage.²

For farmers at risk for early season diseases like Phytophthora, Lumisena® fungicide seed treatment offers best-in-class protection. Research in high-pressure locations shows soybeans treated with Lumisena produced a 4.0 bu/A yield advantage over metalaxyl, the previous leading technology for Phytophthora protection.³

Finally, for acres susceptible to sudden death syndrome (SDS) or soybean cyst nematode (SCN) injury, ILEVO® HL fungicide seed treatment delivers exceptional activity, having demonstrated proven yield advantages in a decade of SDS and SCN environments.

“Your local field agronomist can help best integrate seed treatments into farmers’ specific crop management plans,” Van Kooten said.

¹ Data based on average of on-farm and IMPACT^™ trial comparisons in U.S. in 2021 of the top 25 demand planned A-Series varieties for 2023. Comparisons are against all competitors, unless otherwise stated, and within +/- 0.3 RM of the competitive brand. Product responses are variable and subject to any number of environmental, disease and pest pressures. Individual results may vary. Multi-year and multi-location data are a better predictor of future performance. DO NOT USE THIS OR ANY OTHER DATA FROM A LIMITED NUMBER OF TRIALS AS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN PRODUCT SELECTION. Refer to www.pioneer.com/products or contact a Pioneer sales representative or authorized dealer for the latest and complete listing of traits and scores for each Pioneer^® brand product.

² Significant yield improvement and reduction in plant stand gaps based on Corteva Agriscience research data 2018-2019, 73 locations.

³ Data is based on 638 head-to-head comparisons between Lumisena fungicide seed treatment (0.568 fl oz/cwt) and metalaxyl (0.75 fl oz/cwt) in the top 10 soybean-producing states through Dec. 12, 2017, and subsequent replicated trials in 2018-2021. Comparisons were made utilizing the same soybean variety. DO NOT USE THIS OR ANY OTHER DATA FROM A LIMITED NUMBER OF TRIALS AS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN PRODUCT SELECTION.

Components of LumiGEN^® seed treatments for soybeans are applied at a Corteva Agriscience production facility, or by an independent sales representative of Corteva Agriscience or its affiliates. Not all sales representatives offer treatment services, and costs and other charges may vary. See your sales representative for details. Seed applied technologies exclusive to Corteva Agriscience and its affiliates.

Lumisena® and Lumiderm® may not be registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions.

Gaucho^® is a registered trademark of Bayer.

ILEVO^® is a registered trademark of BASF.

The transgenic soybean event in Enlist E3^® soybeans is jointly developed and owned by Corteva Agriscience and M.S. Technologies L.L.C.

™ ^® Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies.