By JEFF BURBRINK
Extension Educator, Purdue Extension Elkhart County

With grain prices down, farmers are looking for ways to cut back on expenses. Last week I talked to a farmer who was considering planting soybeans without a fungicide seed treatment to save a few dollars per acre.

In researching this question, I found a very good article written by Anne Dorrance, a soybean disease specialist from Ohio State. Dorrance points out that soil drainage, the history of the field, and the cost of replanting are big factors to consider before making the switch.

All the soil borne soybean diseases require high moisture. Fields that are slow to drain, or have a history of needing to be replanted are a no brainer: the cost of replanting or added death lost is far more than the cost of a seed treatment.

Fields that are known to have Phytophthora, a disease that causes the plant to die right at the soil line, will also benefit from a seed treatment. Damping off, another name for the same disease, is fairly common in our area, especially on poorly drained soils.

Dorrance points out that if you are considering cutting back on your seedling rate, the seed treatment becomes more valuable. When there are fewer seeds planted, each seed becomes more important in the scheme of things, so the fungicide provides some insurance against disaster.

Planting earlier in the season, or planting into cooler soil gives you more incentive to use a fungicide. The longer a seed sits in wet, cold soil, the higher the chance it will encounter a pathogen.

She also pointed out two scenarios where you might be able to do without a fungicide. If soils are warm and well drained, or the weather forecast is not predicting heaving rains in the upcoming week or so, you might have ideal conditions for planting beans without a seed treatment.