A Decision Tool to Identify Economically Optimum Planting Date

Proposal Kentucky Soybean Promotion Board 2023 Page |1 Title: How early should KY farmers plant soybean? – A decision tool combining experimental data and modeling Authors: Montse Salmeron (PI), Chad Lee, Jordan Shockley Summary Planting date is the single management factor with the largest impact on yields of grain crops. Previous research has shown the benefits from planting soybean as early as in March to increase yields under irrigated conditions in the U.S. Midsouth. Under the Kentucky climate, early planting dates in March and April will increase the risk of freeze damage after emergence and may be also associated with an increased risk of experiencing summer drought. Results from the weekly planting reports show that Kentucky producers are planting 0.3 days earlier each year. However, the optimum planting dates that provide highest yields for soybean grown in KY have not been quantified yet with field trials. Early planting date recommendations for KY producers need to increase net economic returns while taking into account the frequency of freeze, as well as expected yield reductions due to water stress. To accomplish this, early planting date recommendations must be tailored for each producer and field, considering specific environmental conditions, soil type, and access to irrigation. We propose to provide a decision tool and education support for KY producers to have easy access to this type of tailored management recommendations. The decision tool will include an economic analysis, with yield data obtained combining experimental data with crop model simulations. During FY 2023 we will conduct a field trial to validate yield estimations from the tool, and we will develop the beta version of the decision tool.