To help close the soybean yield gap between average and record yields, this project will break down management practices based on the specific needs of different areas within a field. It will define the yield variability within a field as high, medium and low; identify seeding rates that can help optimize yield; better understand the role biologicals can play in crop nutrient utilization; and evaluate the economics of site-specific management compared to whole-field management practices.

• How does the variability within a soybean field impact crop yield?
• What management adjustments can be implemented to address site-specific variability and help achieve more stable yield production across the field?

• Yield variability within a field is a contributing factor to the soybean yield gap between the average and record yield. In Illinois in 2022, the yield gap was about 46 bu/A.
• To close the gap, it is important to understand where there are differences within a field, what those differences are, and what specific management practices can be deployed within each site or zone to help equalize soybean crop performance.
• The initial economic analysis of site-specific management will be focused on variable-rate seeding and applying biologicals to help make nutrients more readily available to the soybean crop.

• Conducting an economic analysis of select site-specific management practices impacting yield will help define management adjustments that can help farmers across southern Illinois reduce the yield gap.
• By incorporating these insights into their own operations, farmers can continue building upon their own findings to further evolve site-specific management and close the yield gap on their farms.

• Dr. Amir Sadeghpour, Associate Professor, SIU
• Dr. Jebaraj Asirvatham, Associate Professor, SIU
• Ann Mary Kodackal Stanley, Master’s Student, SIU

• 3 soybean fields on the SIU Beef Center, Carbondale

Dr. Jay Nair
Assistant Professor
Southern Illinois University (SIU)
618-453-7105
jay.nair@siu.edu