Impact of neonicotinoid seed treatments on mid-south row crops

Neonicotinoid insecticides are under public scrutiny for their potential link to the decline of honey bee, Apis mellifera L., and other pollinator populations worldwide.  Neonicotinoid insecticide seed treatments are the only seed treatment commonly used in soybean, Glycine max L., production in the Mid-South.  A meta-analysis was performed on 170 neonicotinoid insecticide seed treatment trials from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee to evaluate the value of neonicotinoid seed treatments in soybean production systems across the Mid-South region of the United States.  The meta-analysis compared neonicotinoid insecticide seed treatments with a fungicide to seed only treated with a fungicide.  Data analyzed by state demonstrated soybean seed yields were significantly higher when neonicotinoid seed treatments were applied compared to only fungicide treatments.  Soybean seed treated with neonicotinoid insecticides yielded 112.0 kg ha^-1 (1.7 bushels acre^-1), 203.0 kg ha^-1 (3.0 bushels acre^-1), 165.0 kg ha^-1 (2.5 bushels acre^-1), and 70.0 kg ha^-1 (1.0 bushels acre^-1), higher than fungicide only treatments for Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, respectively.  Across the Mid-South region, neonicotinoid seed treatments yielded 132.0 kg ha^-1 (2.0 bushels acre^-1) compared to fungicide treatments alone.  Net returns from neonicotinoid treated soybean seed was $1,203 per ha^-1 compared to $1,172 per ha^-1 for fungicide only treated seed across the Mid-South.