Soybean Innoculent

[superih]

Something I have learned with inoculent, thought I would share it here being that we are a bunch of farmers

This field had its first Soybeans ever planted in 2015, I inoculated with Graph-Ex, the beans never did look real good, I could pull 30 plants in the entire field before I could find one small root nodule. Every agronomist I questioned about this said to grow beans again next year and the rhizobia will be there for them. 

2016 and 2017 where both years of good corn crops. 

This year 2018, I inoculated at full rate of each Graph-Ex and Graph-Ex SA (which is a root enhancer). I started pulling plants to check for nodules at 4 leaves and all plants where showing a lot of nodules. As the beans grew I noticed larger and more amounts of nodules. I was concluding that the inoculant was probably working but the rhizobia was more than likely there from the soybean crop three years ago. 

I walk the field with my kids as much as possible so I try to teach them this stuff. Well last week I'm moving equipment and my daughter comes to me with this bean plant and tells me, "the roots look good they are nodulating!"  I didn't see her out in the field so I asked where did you pull that plant, she tells me out of the gravel driveway! 

So now my theory of residual rhizobia is completely shot because there was certainly none in the gravel driveway! This plant she pulled was a seed that fell out of the drills and seeded itself in the driveway and put on this root. 

I guess my conclusion is I'm a firm believer in these inoculants, for the next bean crop I plan to use both products but at half rate and see what happens. Full rate of each product came out to $9.50 per acre.

[BOBSIH856]

Could still be rhizobia is there any clover or other legumes near where this soybean plant was growing?

[superih]

36 minutes ago, BOBSIH856 said:

Could still be rhizobia is there any clover or other legumes near where this soybean plant was growing?

Not in the driveway!  That is where this plant came from, lol.  No the entire place has been corn for the last 2 seasons.

[BOBSIH856]

10 minutes ago, superih said:

Not in the driveway!  That is where this plant came from, lol.  No the entire place has been corn for the last 2 seasons.

I didn't know if it was growing near your lawn and like most lawns your probably has some white clover in it. That's a pretty good testament for the inoculant doing its job.

[new guy]

Possible the first year innoculant was out dated?

Once you have your corn bean rotation is it going to be worth the $$ spent on innoculant?

I would just skip the innoculant now that you have established rhyzobia. Spend the $$ on fertility. Jmho.