Skyrocketing prices have sparked a lot of interest in planting soybeans this year, but soybean seed prices are also relatively high. There are a couple of things growers should consider, however, to help curb planting costs, said Kansas State University professor Dale Fjell.

"One of the things farmers can do is to check how many seeds are in each bag," said Fjell, who is a crop production specialist with K- State Research and Extension. "Soybean seed is typically sold in 50- pound bags, but the number of seeds per bag can vary from year to year."

"This year, soybean seed is tending to be smaller because of last year's drought. That doesn't mean it's not viable seed, it's just smaller, so there very well could be more, but smaller seeds in a 50- pound bag than there are in other years," he said.

That's good for the producer, he said, because 50 pounds of seed will go farther this year than in some other years.

Something else a grower can consider is how thick to plant.

"Historically, we've planted nine to 10 seeds in 30-inch rows. That would come out to roughly a bag of seed planted per acre," he said. "We needed thickly-planted fields, not to boost yields, but to help with weed control."

With most producers in Kansas planting Roundup Ready soybeans, however, a minimal amount of herbicide will take care of weeds and the soybean plants will branch out to fill in the open spaces, Fjell said.

"Research is showing that we can plant six to seven seeds per foot. That's a 30 percent decrease in the amount of seed needed," he added. "We're getting to the point that the cost of seed is more than the cost of herbicide, so it's a good time to rethink the planting process."

K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus in Manhattan.