What to consider when planting industrial soy

05/10/2021

Soy is one of the most widely produced agricultural products in the world. In this post, we show you the best gadgets to implement when planting industrial soy.


In the Eastern region of the southern hemisphere, soybean planting begins in September, whenever the weather collaborates. September is the most important month for soy planting since it introduces the fertile lots and with the highest percentage of coverage. From mid-September onwards, the demands of soil quality can be lowered, since the radiation supply and temperature are improving and, in consequence, soy plants have less limitations to develop an adequate structure.

Due to a constantly increasing demand, soy's world production has multiplied 10 times since 1960, achieving 260 million tonnes over approximately 100 million hectares, mostly in the United States and South America (45 million hectares).


The Soy plant

Soy is a type of legume plant, and its seeds contain a large portion of vegetable proteins, as well as iron, magnesium and other minerals. Soy flour and oil also derive from soy beans, and this products are pretty low priced in the worldwide market.

Soy is mostly used to manufacture animal fattening which is given to farmed animals in order for them to produce higher rates of meat, eggs and milk in a shorter amount of time and in a cheaper way. It is also widely used to make biodiesel.


Bio-stimulation of the seed

Germinating power, health and vigor are the main characteristics the soy bean must carry in order to achieve lots with higher numbers of germination and good stands of plants.

In early plantings, "with the incorporation of a bio stimulant, which provides hormones that promote its development, more inoculants are supplied with nutrients, and it also allows a faster establishment of the plant", says Gustavo Ferris, the expert in crop nutrition of the INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Technology). He also said that a plant that doesn't germinate in a week, doesn't achieve to establish and, in order to have the most productive lot, the highest uniformity needs to be accomplished.

Regarding this, technician Lucila Ladrón de Guevara explains that an unequal space distribution means the loss of up to 6% of the soy's efficiency, while an unequal time distribution could present the loss of an 8%. This demonstrates that, if the implanting quality is high, that 14% yield can be turned into a high yield using stimulants.

Additionally, it is usual that producers try to correct the bad quality of seeds by planting even more kilos: "Even though this helps correct the lot's density, it doesn't help with the unequal time distribution and, sometimes it even worsens the spacial arrangement.", explains.

Apart form the bio-stimulants help, the soybeans need a treatment so that the planting results successful. It is common in the industry to use rizobios, a type of bacteria that helps with the fixation of nitrogen, so that the soil stays nourished for future plantings. This bacteria must be found in an ideal quantity and biological quality in order to achieve fixation and survival of the seed for their proper release in the soil and, finally, achieve the roots' nourishment from the rizobios.

Specialist Daniel Germinara explains that there are many actors that mark a difference between the products: "Other than the formulation, the ease of application, the quality of coadjuvants, the type of production, packaging...".

In addition, the inoculation is beneficial over the environment. Essays show that an effective inoculation improves between a 6% and a 7% the soy's yields and a 4% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per tonne produced.


Technological solutions

A successfully implemented product for the seed's treatment is Nitragim Optimize. The formula has NOD factors, that stimulates the roots' nodulation, improving the efficiency of the nitrogen absorption of the plants.

”The NOD factors present the rhizobia and make them infected faster, generating more nodules that will fix nitrogen in the main root, " explains Germinara, Biosolutions manager at UPL (an Agricultural Products' Brand) Argentina.

“This tool increases the crop's vigor, induces a greater stand of plants and root development, as well as the early beginning of nodulation, a better biological fixation of nitrogen, and an increase in the uptake of water and nutrients.”, describes the UPL expert.

For its part, among the solutions for professional seed treatment or CTS (Seed Treatment Center), the team of Nitragin and UPL offers a comprehensive service that includes not only specific products but also technical assistance for a controlled industrial process.


References

https://www.agrositio.com.ar

https://www.infocampo.com.ar