Soybean School: Boosting yield with starter and pop up fertilizer

Do starter and pop-up fertilizers make a significant impact on soybean performance compared to just broadcasting the crops' nutrient needs?

That's a question Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner has been asked by many growers during the winter months. He says when soybeans first entered Ontario in the 1960s, and through to the 1990s, researchers saw little response to using a starter or a pop-up. A better understanding of the oilseed's yield potential, however,  now has the soybean researcher and growers looking for ways to better feed the crop and drive higher yield.

On this episode of the RealAgriculture Soybean School, Bohner shares research, theories and thoughts on nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur, whether they belong in pop-up or starter, and what we we know about effective rates.

To explore the topics, Bohner notes it's important to define some terms. He describes pop-up as fertilizer placed in-furrow, close to touching the seed; he says most people would describe a starter as some form of a 2x2 band with variable fertilizer rates — it could be as high as half the rate of crop removal.

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