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A biological seed treatment that returned zero yield advantage. A starter rate that won by costing less. Four independent trials pointing in the same direction.
The Challenge
A Northwestern Illinois farm with a strong soybean program was spending on inputs that came with strong recommendations but was limited by incomplete on-farm evidence. Like many operations, the decision to apply a product was often driven by agronomist advice or seed dealer guidance — reasonable starting points, but not a substitute for knowing what works on a specific farm’s ground.
The operator enrolled in Field IQ: Full-Service to build the kind of systematic trial program that would generate that farm-specific evidence — and to put a team in place to actually analyze it and deliver clear recommendations.
What Field IQ Did
Field IQ built and ran a structured soybean trial program across this operation, testing seed treatment products and fertility inputs in replicated side-by-side strips. Multiple independent trials were run on the same questions across different fields and seasons to build statistical confidence in the results before making a recommendation. The results were analyzed and delivered as clear, actionable findings — not hedged summaries.
The Results
A $20/ac biological seed treatment returned zero benefit. A biological seed treatment product, applied at a cost of approximately $20 per acre, was tested against untreated soybean seed across 36 side-by-side strips. The result: 72.06 bu/ac for treated strips versus 72.06 bu/ac for untreated — an identical average, with untreated seed winning 83% of individual strip comparisons. Removing the treatment saved $20 per acre with no yield cost. The finding was consistent across four independent trials, pointing in the same direction.
A lower starter rate outperformed a higher one — in both yield and cost. A corn starter fertilizer rate comparison tested a 20-gallon application against a 29-gallon rate. The 20-gallon rate won 100% of strip comparisons and delivered a $35.69 per acre net advantage — higher yield at lower input cost. It is not common to find a result where the less expensive option also outperforms agronomically. This one did. The farm adjusted its starter program accordingly.