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Battle for the Belt: Season 3, Episode 1- 2024 Results

Season 3 Episode 1 of Battle for the Belt is now available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y96zw0R8D0o

In Episode 1, we summarize results of each location for the 2024 crop season.

Project Overview

Figure 1. Map of the three research locations for Battle of the Belt.

Battle for the Belt aims to answer four questions:

  • Which crop should we plant first - corn or soybean?
  • Which crop has the smallest yield penalty for delayed planting?
  • Can we adjust management practices to mitigate losses due to late planting?
  • How are insects, diseases, weeds, and other factors affected by planting date?

The project had three locations in 2024 (Figure 1): The Northwest Agricultural Research Station, Wooster Campus, and Western Agricultural Research Station. The 2024 growing season was the second year of this project. There were five target planting date timeframes Ultra early: late March to early April, Early: mid to late April, Normal: early to mid-May, Late: late May or early June, Very late: mid to late June. For corn, we also evaluated four relative maturities: 100- day. 107-day, 111-day, and 115-day at each planting date. For soybean, we evaluated four seeding rates: 100k seeds/acre, 140k seeds/acre, 180k seeds/acre, 210k seeds/acre.

2024 Weather Recap

Every season comes with its own unique struggles and varies with each planting date. Early spring brought flooding and freeze damage, affecting ultra early planted crops at the Western location. In Northwest Ohio, the rain did not cease for most of the spring, so we achieved our earliest planting date on May 16th, as it was far too wet to plant early. This rain continued through June. Later, for most of the state, drought conditions affected most regions by August (Figure 2). These dry conditions lasted well into September, the peak of the drought period. Crop yields in 2024 were generally lower than 2023.  

Figure 2. U.S. Drought monitor map for September 10, 2024, Ohio. Source: droughtmonitor.unl.edu

Corn vs. Soy: Western

Figure 3: Corn and soybean yield by planting date at the Western Agricultural Research Station. Corn yield is the blue line with the yield on the left axis and soybean yield is the orange line with the yield on the right axis, by planting date on the bottom axis. The corn yield was calculated using the top yielding relative maturity for each planting date and the soybean yield by using the top yielding seeding rate for each planting date.

At the Western location, we accomplished the earliest planting date for soybean research we have had in Ohio, March 25. This early planting date faced flooding and freeze damage that caused stand loss in soybean and loss of vegetative growth in corn. Soybean yield was statistically the same between March 25th and May 24th. For corn, the first three planting dates yielded statistically the same.

Corn vs. Soy: Northwest

Figure 4: Corn and soybean yield by planting date at the Western Agricultural Research Station. Corn yield is the blue line with the yield on the left axis and soybean yield is the orange line with the yield on the right axis, by planting date on the bottom axis. The corn yield was calculated using the top yielding relative maturity for each planting date and the soybean yield by using the top yielding seeding rate for each planting date.

The Northwest location was very wet in the spring and continued to be wet through June. We began planting on May 16th, and the final planting date was June 24th. Both crops had the greatest yield when planted in May and quickly declined with June planting dates.

Corn vs Soy: Wooster

Figure 5: Corn and soybean yield by planting date at the Western Agricultural Research Station. Corn yield is the blue line with the yield on the left axis and soybean yield is the orange line with the yield on the right axis, by planting date on the bottom axis. The corn yield was calculated using the top yielding relative maturity for each planting date and the soybean yield by using the top yielding seeding rate for each planting date.

The Wooster location results showed that both corn and soybean benefitted from the first planting date (April 22nd) to the third planting date (May 21st), though soybeans yielded slightly lower in planting date 2, relative to first planting. Corn and soybean yield rapidly declined with June planting dates.

Overall Summary

Considering all locations over the 2024 growing seasons, soybean yield was the most predictable and consistent. Yields tended to decrease as planting was delayed, regardless of seeding rate. Planting dates should be as soon as possible after your regions crop insurance early plant date (Figure 6.), with adequate soil conditions. Regarding seeding rate, over 100,000 seeds/acre should be planted but higher seeding rates are needed if there is expected low population like in adverse weather conditions.

Figure 6. Crop insurance planting date requirements for corn and soybean.

Corn yields were less consistent and tended to be more site-specific. However, mid-April through mid-May was generally optimal. At every location, relative maturity, had a significant effect on yield. Longer relative maturity was optimal across early planting dates, with a shorter relative maturity yielding better at late planting dates.

From our preliminary results, prioritizing soybean with earliest OR latest planting date is optimal in most situations due to the plant’s plasticity (capacity to compensate and fill in gaps resulting from stand losses under sub-optimal conditions). We look forward to the third and final field season of Battle for the Belt to solidify a winner at each location.

Keep following the ‘Battle for the Belt’ this growing season to learn more and get further updates! You can find the full video playlist of Battle for the Belt on the Ohio State Agronomy YouTube channel.

Crop Observation and Recommendation Network

C.O.R.N. Newsletter is a summary of crop observations, related information, and appropriate recommendations for Ohio crop producers and industry. C.O.R.N. Newsletter is produced by the Ohio State University Extension Agronomy Team, state specialists at The Ohio State University and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). C.O.R.N. Newsletter questions are directed to Extension and OARDC state specialists and associates at Ohio State.