
Syncing Soybeans with Rain Boosts YieldsBy Tara Weaver January
8, 1998Farmers who plant soybeans earlier in the mid-south region can avoid
drought, reap an earlier harvest, and maximize their yields, an
Agricultural Research Service scientist
reports. Growers in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and western Tennessee usually
plant their soybeans in May and June. But ARS agronomist Larry G. Heatherly at
the Soybean Research
Unit in Stoneville, Miss., has developed an Early Soybean Production System
(ESPS)--a plan for planting early-maturing soybean varieties in April. The early planting brings the plants into sync with the weather. The plants
demand more water during their reproductive stage, and the early planting means
they'll be going through that developmental phase during the high-rainfall
season from April through June. Drought is common in the mid-south region later
in the growing season from July through early September. That means plants sown
on the conventional timetable develop pods and seeds and fill these seeds during
the hot, dry months when water is scarce. In a three-year field study, the ESPS outperformed conventional soybean
plantings. ESPS soybean plants will also be harvested earlier than those
planted in the conventional system, so growers may benefit from a higher price
received for their early delivery. Another advantage of ESPS--avoiding the bug feeding frenzy. According to
Heatherly, ESPS should allow soybeans to avoid late-season, foliage-feeding
insects. That's because by then, the plants have matured and aren't as
susceptible to insect damage. Dry spells are the main reason soybean yields have remained about the same
for 30 years. But farmers might change that--and boost their profits--by
planting an earlier crop. Scientific contact: Larry G. Heatherly,
Soybean Research Unit,
Stoneville, Miss., phone (601) 686- 3128, fax (601) 686-3140,
[email protected]. U.S. Department of Agriculture | |