Soybeans

While much of our current attention for crop development is on corn, let’s not forget our soybean crop.

Items to consider for the soybean crop

  • On the longest day of the year, June 21, how much leaf area was present in your soybean field?
    • The more leaf area, the better the prospects are for higher yields.
  • Average, or slightly above average, rainfall amounts in August generally are considered beneficial for high soybean yields.
    • The 30 year norm for August is approximately 4.4 inches of rain.
  • Soybeans generally mature by calendar date rather than growing degree days as corn does.
    • From its normal maturation for each maturity grouping (MG), earlier plants will accelerate harvest by 5 to 7 days, while later than normal planting date will add 5 to 7 days to this general maturation date.
    • Cooler than normal temperatures will slow maturation slightly.

Observations

At the Agronology 10 Research Center, on June 21, our canopy in 15 inch row soybeans was completely covering the ground. On Monday, August 6, a large load of pods were filling throughout the soybean plant.

Our normal harvest date of 2.7 to 3.0 MG soybeans is the last week of September.