Soil conditions in the heart of the soybean growing area on the eastern prairies have been dry this spring, leading to questions about planting deeper than normal to ensure the seed has access to moisture.
This Soybean School West episode takes us to the middle of a windy field near Portage, Man., where Dieter Schwarz of Pride Seeds discusses how chasing moisture lower can impact plant emergence, and how to determine whether soil is “fit” for planting soybeans.
Check out the Soybean School archive for more planting reminders
While earlier is usually better, he notes it is possible to plant soybeans too early (soil temps should be at 10 degrees C or around 50 degrees F).
“Make sure you wait until the soil is warm. For soybeans especially, the first 24 hours are the most critical in terms of soil temperature,” notes Schwarz. “Unfortunately last year we saw some concerns with plant stand and yield — I saw some yield reductions in the 20 to 25 percent range where guys pushed the envelope and planted early, before the ground and the soil temperature were fit to plant.”
Related: Prairie Soil Moisture Conditions in “Reasonably Good Shape, With Some Exceptions”
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