Soybeans Dealing With Drought Stress

Purdue Extension Soybean Specialist Shaun Casteel says the potential is there for us to hit the USDA projected 60 bushels per acre, which would be a record here in Indiana, but we might still run into problems due to drought stress.

Casteel says after many plants will lose pods and seed fill, he anticipates we will see Green Stem Syndrome this harvest season.

“We’re going to have the brown pods and the seed is going to be 12%, 10%, and it just won’t look like it’s ready. We need to be able to get out there, chew on those seeds and see if they’re ready, and get the combines ready for choking through some of that green stem to get the yield that we need. A lot of times we wait for those things to be just browner than brown and then we end up losing some yield because pods are opening up. We lose out on yield because we’re harvesting when grain moisture is at 10% instead of 13% or 14%, we lose out on 3%-4% water weight and we can’t make that back up.”

As harvest is approaching (or already started for some), Casteel says now would be a good time for another drone flight if you can.

“You can catch the spatial variation of that field better than the yield monitor is going to give you because you’re going across a 30-40 foot platform and we’re going to lose out on that precision that we claim we have. So, I think this is a great opportunity, as crazy as it sounds. You’re not going to do any true management at this point, but it’s going to help with guidance for anything in the future.”

Casteel and Extension Corn Specialist Bob Nielsen both recommend calibrating your yield monitors prior to harvest as well.

You can hear much more from both Casteel and Nielsen in the latest Purdue Crop Chat Podcast found at hoosieragtoday.com and on iTunes later Monday.

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