The old saying “it’s not how you start that’s important, but how you finish” applies to the story of the 2024 soybean crop on the Prairies and Northern Plains. Final yield numbers from crop insurance — usually the best overall estimate — are not yet public, but Statistics Canada says Manitoba farmers set a new… Read More
Category: Soybean Planting
It’s late June and growers are still planting soybeans in Ontario. It’s been that kind of year, says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness soybean specialist Horst Bohner as growers in rain-soaked areas of the province make a final dash to plant soybean acres. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Soybean School, Bohner looks… Read More
As cereal crops race to the finish line across Ontario, many growers are weighing the option of planting soybeans after a first harvest, which is already underway in some winter barley fields in southwestern portions of the province. Embro, Ont., farmer Ian Matheson and his family have been double cropping soybeans for two decades. He… Read More
Soybean yields are often determined by growing conditions and whether growers are lucky to get those August rains that make grain. But how important is it to make the right agronomic and management decisions at planting to set up that yield success? That’s a question Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist… Read More
When it comes to planter prep, corn is king. The simple truth is most growers spend a lot of time fine-tuning planters to ensure corn seeds are deposited at a consistent depth and are snugged into the soil after the trench is closed. But what about soybeans? Do growers spend enough time working on how… Read More
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
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