Urbandale, Iowa
May 2, 2008
Spring rains and cool temperatures
are likely to delay soybean planting past the optimal planting
dates where soybeans produce the highest yield. Even so, the
Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) urges soybean growers not to rush
their planting this spring.
“It’s easy to make mistakes when we’re feeling the pressure of
watching the days pass by without getting seed in the ground,”
says ISA President Curt Sindergard, who grows soybeans and corn
near Rolfe, Iowa. “It’s best to wait until conditions are right
if you can.”
ISA and Iowa State University Extension Agronomist Palle
Pedersen urges growers to wait until seedbed conditions are
right, handle seed carefully and plan ahead for a forecasted
drought.
1. Wait for the right
conditions: “The optimal date for planting soybeans in the
southern two-thirds of Iowa was April 25. Farmers who were not
able to plant during this timeframe understandably get
impatient, says Pedersen. “(However,) planting into a seedbed
that is too wet can cause problems later in the season. Sidewall
compaction is only the beginning of growers’ problems if they
plant in a seedbed that is too wet.
In addition, a disease like sudden death syndrome (SDS) seems to
be worse when soybeans are planted into a wet seedbed. “We only
need to go back to 2007 where we also had a wet spring to see
what damage SDS did in many fields later in the 2007 season,”
Pedersen notes.
2. Protect fragile seed: Seed quality is an issue this
year throughout the United States. “The supplies of many popular
soybean varieties are extremely tight this year, and the
opportunity to replant with high yielding varieties may be
limited,” Pedersen says. “We want to wait until the conditions
are right to plant to give the seed every advantage we can.
Moreover, we don’t want to have to replant. If we get into a
replanting situation, seed quality may be worse.” In addition,
seed may be fragile this year and should be handled carefully.
Pedersen suggests that growers may want to consider the use of a
fungicide seed treatment to ensure a good stand.
3. Plan ahead for predicted drought: If we experience a
drought this summer, as many climatologists are predicting, the
restricted root development from sidewall compaction may haunt
us later in the season, according to Pedersen.
“We want an optimum seedbed to
obtain early vegetative growth and canopy closure,” adds David
Wright, ISA director of contract research. “Early weed control
is also important so weeds don’t rob moisture from the soybean
plants. For soybean management information, visit the ISA Web
site, www.iasoybeans.com
and click on the “production research” link on the left side of
the screen.”
The Iowa Soybean Association develops policies and programs
that help farmers expand profit opportunities while promoting
environmentally sensitive production using the soybean checkoff
and other resources. The Association is governed by an elected
volunteer board of 21 farmers. |
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