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Foliar fertilizers rarely increase yield in United States soybean
Author(s) -
Matcham Emma G.,
Vann R. Atwell,
Lindsey Laura E.,
Gaska John M.,
Lilley Dylan T.,
Ross W. Jeremy,
Wright David L.,
Knott Carrie,
Lee Chad D.,
Moseley David,
Singh Maninder,
Naeve Seth,
Irby J. Trenton,
Wiebold William,
Kandel Hans,
Lofton Josh,
Inman Matthew,
Kleinjan Jonathon,
Holshouser David L.,
Conley Shawn P.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.1002/agj2.20889
Subject(s) - agronomy , fertilizer , yield (engineering) , nutrient , human fertilization , glycine , biology , amino acid , biochemistry , ecology , materials science , metallurgy
Farmers have been interested in using foliar‐applied nutrient products to increase soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] yield since at least the 1970s, despite limited evidence that these products offer consistent yield increases when used prophylactically. Recently, interest in foliar fertilizer products for soybean production has been renewed, likely related to elevated soybean prices. Over the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons (46 site‐years), agronomists in 16 states collaborated to test six foliar nutrient treatments (commercial mixtures of macro‐ and micro‐nutrients) on soybean grain yield and composition. Soybean grain yield and composition differed among sites but not among foliar fertilizer treatments. Results show that prophylactic foliar fertilization is likely to decrease the profitability of soybean production. Foliar fertilizer products tested in this study and similar products should not be recommended to U.S. soybean farmers in the absence of visual symptoms of nutrient deficiency.