Planting soybeans early is a critical component when striving for high yields. By planting beans early, this allows for the plant to capture maximum amounts of sunlight which can help to produce more nodes. More nodes per plant equals more pods per node which equals more yield. However, planting early can be an obstacle in regions like Southern Illinois where soil conditions are often too wet or not fit for planting.

One idea to overcome this obstacle is to plant soybeans with a drone.  On March 22^nd in Richland County, Illinois, I planted 200,000 seeds per acre by arial seeding into 5 acres of a no-till field.  Before the recent cold event, there was a planting population of around 100,000 to 125,000 plants per acre.  However, after the frost, the stand could have been reduced to 75,000 plants per acre, but it is still too early to evaluate the final stand.

When planting early beans, consider lowering populations to promote lateral branching. It is important to know and understand which varieties can adapt to lower populations and will promote branching to compensate. In my opinion, shorter statured and wider canopy beans are preferred for this type of management approach.  Stay tuned for updates on this early planted soybean plot in Richland County.

Contact Matt by calling/texting (618) 838-2626.