Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 January 2017
Increased soybean seed cost has generated recent interest in reducingseeding rates to improve economic returns. However, low seeding rates resultin reduced established plant stands with slower canopy development, andcanopy development is an important element of integrated weed management(IWM). Field studies were conducted in 2012 and 2013 in Wisconsin todetermine the trade-off between reduced seeding rates and PRE residualherbicide use for POST herbicide exposure. Soybean was planted in mid May in38-cm-wide rows at five seeding rates ranging from 148,200 to 469,300 seeds ha−1. A PRE application of metolachlor plus fomesafen was madeto half of the plots. One of two POST herbicide programs were sprayed at theV4 soybean growth stage to determine whether blending herbicide-resistant(HR) and non-HR soybean cultivars could be a practical alternative to reducesoybean seed expenses while maintaining the potential benefit of weedsuppression before the POST herbicide application. An increase in seedingrate did not reduce the density or size of weeds exposed to the POSTherbicide, and furthermore, end-of-season weed density and biomass were notinfluenced. In contrast, the use of a PRE herbicide reduced total weeddensity and biomass before POST application by 93 and 95%, respectively, inboth years. In 2012, the season was dry early and harvest stands of 161,100and 264,100 plants ha−1 produced 95% of the maximum yield for thePRE and no-PRE treatments, respectively. The difference was not repeated in2013 with adequate early season rainfall. In conclusion, PRE herbicide useproduced maximum yield with fewer plants per hectare by limiting earlyseason weed competition and reduced weeds exposed to POST herbicideapplication thus contributing to HR management (HRM). In contrast, higherplant densities generated within the seeding rate range of this study didlittle to improve IWM or HRM.