Once soybeans are up and out of the ground, the crop can be quite resilient. What’s more, soybeans are proving hardier than first thought, and new research suggests that planting earlier — even before corn or canola — can yield good results. In this episode of the Soybean School, Laura Schmidt, production specialist with the… Read More
Category: Soybean Planting
Every year soybean growers make seed choices based on a host of factors. One of the key decisions is whether to plant long-season varieties, full-season varieties or choose a shorter-season variety. Many growers target longer-season varieties and an early planting date to try to optimize yield potential and put more bushels in the bin, but… Read More
You can learn a lot about reducing tillage in 35 years. That’s the combined number of years Horst Bohner and Rob Templeman have spent leading Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) soybean research and extension efforts. On the first episode of the 2024 season of RealAgriculture’s Soybean School, OMAFRA’s current and former… Read More
Soybeans or corn? Which seed makes the most sense to plant first next spring? Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner says good arguments can be made for planting either crop first. The best solution might be to buy a second planter and start rolling with both crops at the… Read More
When soybean plants lodge, bad things happen. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner says growers are okay with the “power lean” — that’s when pod-laden plants tilt slightly under the weight of their bean bounty. “But when they start to get close to the ground, and really lean over,… Read More
Could cameras mounted on sprayer booms help revolutionize crop scouting, stand assessment and the gathering of crop management information? On this episode of RealAgriculture Soybean School, we ride along with the SWAT Cam to learn how these sprayer-mounted cameras scout fields and gather information agronomists and growers can utilize to make crop management decisions. Agronomist… Read More
Strong plant stands can set a soybean crop up for big yields. But difficult spring conditions can leave soybean seedlings fighting to emerge and unable to contribute to the population levels needed to reach yield expectations. In Ontario, typically one to four per cent of the soybean acres fail to establish adequate plant stands and… Read More
Many agronomic and environmental factors can contribute to uneven soybean emergence. From variable planting depth to moisture availability at seeding depth or untimely rains that seal some seeds underground — every uneven soybean field has a story. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner has seen his fair share of… Read More
It’s been dry and cool across Ontario since soybean planting started rolling at top speed in mid-May and those conditions are causing replant headaches for many growers. Field scouting has revealed a host of soil, seed emergence, and vigour issues, including crusting and cold injury. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Soybean School, Clark Agri-Service… Read More
A soybean plant’s yield potential is closely linked to the number of nodes — the part where a leaf is attached to the stem — it develops prior to flowering and forming pods. Two million nodes per acre is a recommended target, explains Jason Voogt, independent agronomist and owner of Field 2 Field Agronomy in… Read More
The rule of thumb for planting soybeans in Western Canada has generally been to wait until the soil is 10 degrees C — often after canola is in the ground, but there are a number of reasons, including historical yield data, that suggest the crop would benefit from earlier planting. This Soybean School episode, recorded… Read More
Should growers plant soybeans in narrower 15-inch rows or should they go wide and plant at 30 inches? Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner has been listening to the debate for years, and rather than taking sides, he likes to focus on the fact that growers can choose an… Read More
Do starter and pop-up fertilizers make a significant impact on soybean performance compared to just broadcasting the crops’ nutrient needs? That’s a question Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner has been asked by many growers during the winter months. He says when soybeans first entered Ontario in the 1960s,… Read More
What impact do higher-yielding corn crops have on no-till soybeans? That’s a question many growers are asking as they prepare to plant no-till soybeans into high levels of corn residue that can keep soil cooler in spring, impact emergence and reduce stands. Growers also have to contend with soil compaction caused by difficult harvest conditions… Read More
The seed meter is the heartbeat of the planter. Research from Precision Planting indicates that one per cent singulation accuracy can equal plus or minus two bushels in the field. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Soybean School, Cullen Tinline, from Kearney Planters, looks at a range of seed meters and offers tips on what… Read More