Advanced Agrilytics

Three Management Considerations for Early Planted Soybeans

Thinking about planting soybeans earlier this Spring? AJ Woodyard, lead agronomist, walks through some key management considerations growers should acknowledge prior to putting seeds in the ground.  

  1. Seed bed prep – With earlier planting dates, one risk soybeans encounter is a higher chance of experiencing a freeze post-emergence. While varieties planted in months like March or early April will stay viable underground until conditions are right for emergence, varieties that have already emerged are susceptible to dips into upper 20-degree temperature range for extended periods of time. Bare ground has a higher propensity to tolerate these snaps, thanks to warmer ground temperatures around that emerged seedling. No-till cropping systems must consider the added cooling and higher residue as an increased risk to early soybean planting.  
  2. Seed quality matters – Not every variety lot is set up to succeed in colder temperatures at germination. Quality seeds make a difference and varieties with good warm germination scores do not always perform the same under colder temperatures. Farmers can send varieties for an accelerated aging test which helps predict the cold temperature vigor for the varieties. Using this score to prioritize soybean planting in early dates with a less than ideal upcoming forecast will help farmers set up their fields for greatest success.  
  3. Know your field’s risks – Pre-existing threats in a field can be elevated with early planting. Avoiding fields that have the greatest propensity for Sudden Death Syndrome, pythium or phytophthora or preparing to manage for those known threats can be make or break for early planted soybeans.  

Grower customers of Advanced Agrilytics have access to personalized agronomy advice and experts in the field all year long. Ready to take advantage of actionable insights on your acres? Please reach out to learn more.