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Coldwater, Michigan | Foliar feeding has never been totally dependable on normal field crops. Sometimes it hits, sometimes it doesn't. One the specialty crops it has generally been accepted as helpful to many of those crops (higher value). As soybean prices have gone up, it is easier to justify taking the chance because that small average gain in yield pays big bucks.
One of the reasons foliar feed tends to work better in high value crops is that they normally make more trips to bring that crop to maturity. That coupled with a bit of fertilizer each trip gives them a better chance to hit the timing window. Missing that window is probably the biggest reason Foliar feeding hasn't worked more consistently.
If you are going to foliar feed, what is most likely to be short in that plant for that stage of growth? Based on years of foliar trials: If you are going to use RR soybeans, you definitely should be using some Manganese, then you should add some Boron (reproductive), and some Molybdenum (small quantities - Nitrogen fixer). The Boron and Moly are usually short in soybeans during much of the season whether the Mn is short or not. If you are going to make the trip you might as well use a gallon or two of a high Quality NPK product. I always pull plant samples before spraying and use that as my guide to make a second trip approximately 2 weeks later.
The cost per acre doesn't have to be ridiculous. Count on at least 2 trips, or more.
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Foliar fertilizer
