Licht says seed placement and spacing are not as crucial with soybeans as with corn. “The goal is to get the best results from the potential of the genetics,” says Licht. If an insecticide/fungicide seed treatment is used, seeding rates can be reduced by 10,000 to 20,000 seeds per acre. Recommend seeding rates for seed not treated with insecticide or fungicide is around 170,000 seeds per acre for 7½-inch row spacing, 160,000 seeds per acre for 15-inch rows, and 150,000 plants per acre for 30-inch rows. If planting 2 inches deep to access uniform moisture, make sure the variety has an excellent emergence score. Ideal seed depth for most conditions is 1¼ to 1½ inches, but beans can be planted up to 2 inches deep in sandy soils, or in dry conditions. The best soybean yields occur on well-drained, but not sandy soils having a pH of 6.5 or above. Seed depth will mostly depend on soil type and soil conditions at planting time. A corn planter usually does a better job than a grain drill, though modern drills have much better depth control than older drills. It is important to place the seed into the ground at a precise depth and in firm contact with the soil. Luckily for multicrop producers, corn-planting equipment also works for soybeans with very few adjustments. “While for others, it’s hard for them to wrap their heads around that change.” For larger farms he suggests running two planters simultaneously. “Some are planting beans before corn,” says Licht. Licht says corn timing is more important than beans, as beans are more resilient. There are weather risks on both ends.”Īccording to Purdue Extension, 67% of Indiana growers plant soybeans one to three weeks earlier than they did 10 years ago.įarmers growing both corn and beans often find themselves fighting spring rains to get both crops in the ground on time. “You need to look at your planting window and your harvest window and determine what works best for you. “With today’s seed treatments we are seeing planting earlier that ever before,” says Licht. Planting in early April carries significant risk, but when successful can produce impressive yields. By late May, producers will see a yield reduction. Be sure there is no longer a risk of late freeze or frost by the time of the crop’s emergence seven to 10 days after planting.įor the upper Midwest, optimal planting time is generally April 25 to mid-May. and warming to ensure adequate soil temps is ideal. The experts will say the earlier you plant, the better the yield, but there must be adequate ground moisture and the weather should be in a warming trend. In determining when to put seeds in the ground, soil condition and weather trump date. Mark Licht, Iowa State University Extension and outreach cropping systems specialist, says it helps to pay attention to residue distribution at harvest, making it as uniform as possible so there is more residue close to the surface to make planting easier. Soybeans can be, and often are, no-till drilled into previous crop residue, a move that saves on cost without affecting yield. Planting fungicide-treated soybean seed – particularly on seed with lower-than-normal germination – is a way to ensure adequate stand potential, he says. Phomopsis infested a share of soybeans last year, and the inoculum may carry into this year’s seed lots. No-till fields will have cool soils longer into the season than tilled fields and commonly will have more seedling disease problems.įarmers who have never used a soybean fungicide seed treatment may want to reconsider this spring, says Dean Grossnickle, a Syngenta agronomic service representative based in central Iowa. Like any input, the cost must be weighed against yield gains.įungicide treatments are especially helpful if planting early in the spring, as wet, cool soil conditions can add to the risk of seedling disease. Likewise, insecticide seed treatment may be desirable if the field is known for insect pests. The same applies for any known history of Phytophthora, Sudden Death Syndrome, or any other soybean pathogens. If the field has a history of disease during seedling emergence, a fungicide treatment may be desirable.
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