Soybean Seed Treatments May Offer Modest Yield Gains but Limited Financial Benefits.
A study led by researchers at Penn State indicates that fungicide-treated soybean seeds may not consistently provide enough economic benefit to offset their added cost.
The findings, published in Scientific Reports, suggest that while treated seeds can improve soybean yields, the increases are often modest and may not generate sufficient returns for most producers.
The research found that the financial value of fungicide seed treatments depended largely on market conditions. Profitability was more likely when treatment expenses were relatively low and soybean prices were strong.
As a result, researchers encourage growers to carefully assess whether treated seeds are necessary for their operations.
“Farmers often talk about putting money in their pockets, and our research suggests that this can occur by reducing input costs rather than by assuming an economic gain from using treated seeds,” said Esker.
“Growers may want to use treated seeds only in specific, high-risk situations or after verifying a positive return-on-investment.”
The study examined information from randomized field trials and farm surveys conducted across 10 Midwestern states between 2014 and 2016.
Results showed average yield gains of 22.2 kilograms per hectare in controlled experiments and about 36 kilograms per hectare in observational studies.
Researchers noted that fungicide seed treatment use has expanded dramatically, rising from roughly 8% of soybean acreage in 1996 to between 60% and 75% by 2015.
“Adoption of seed treatments has continued to increase in U.S. soybean production systems, but uncertainty remains about whether their use is necessary,” Esker said.
“Furthermore, given the parallel questions about the use of seed-treatment insecticides, we recognized that addressing them could go a long way toward helping farmers make better soybean management decisions.”
The team also pointed to environmental concerns, explaining that unnecessary fungicide applications may affect beneficial soil and seed microorganisms.
“Given the small economic benefits and these known ecological risks, policymakers may want to prioritize support for research and extension programs that help growers identify the specific conditions where seed treatments are likely to be profitable,” Esker said.
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