Delayed Soybean Planting – A Yield Perspective

Source:  Dr. Laura Lindsey, OSU Extension

Across the state, soybean planting is still on-hold due to continued wet weather. A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on recommendations for June-planted soybeans: https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-12/recommendations-late-planted-soybeans You can also find recommendations for late-planted soybeans in the Ohio Agronomy Guide available to download as a pdf here: https://stepupsoy.osu.edu/soybean-production/ohio-agronomy-guide-15th-edition (click on the picture of the guide to download).

I think June-planted soybeans still have a great deal of yield potential; however, it will depend on how the rest of the year turns out. (Will there be water limitations during pod-setting and seed fill? Will we have an early frost?)

 Figure 1. Effect of soybean planting date on soybean grain yield at the Western Agricultural Research Station (WARS) (Clark County) in 2013 and 2014 and the Northwest Agricultural Research Station (NWARS) (Wood County) in 2014.

In Clark County at the Western Agricultural Research Station (WARS), we have observed a 0.6 bu/acre/day reduction in soybean yield (see Figure 1). Soybeans planted on July 2, 2013 yielded close to 60 bu/acre and soybeans planted on July 1, 2014, yielded close to 50 bu/acre. Interestingly, in Wood County at the Northwest Agricultural Research Station (NWARS) in 2014, yield was just over 50 bu/acre regardless of planting date, which spanned from May 8 to June 18. I’ve summarized some of our other late-planted soybean yield data in the table below.

Planting date County Average yield

(bu/acre)

June 1, 2011 (performance trial) Preble County 64-71
June 1, 2016 (relative maturity trial) Clark County 60
June 3, 2011 (performance trial) Mercer County 57-66
June 4, 2011 (performance trial) Delaware County 43-56
June 4, 2017 (performance trial) Sandusky County 57-58
June 5, 2011 (performance trial) Erie County 59-65
June 6, 2017 (relative maturity trial) Wood County 50
June 6, 2011 (performance trial) Henry County 54-56
June 7, 2011 (performance trial) Fayette County 58-72
June 7, 2011 (performance trial) Mercer County 53-55
June 8, 2017 (relative maturity trial) Clark County 60-65
June 9, 2016 (relative maturity trial) Wayne County 68
June 9, 2017 (relative maturity trial) Wayne County 55
June 13, 2016 (relative maturity trial) Wood County 58-61
June 26, 2018 (double crop trial) Clark County 48
June 29, 2018 (double crop trial) Wayne County 41
June 29, 2017 (double crop trial) Clark County 39-47
July 11, 2016 (double crop trial) Clark County 43

 

 

 

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