Too Much Moisture Hurting Indiana Soybean Yields

Too Much Moisture Hurting Indiana Soybean Yields

Rod King

Many parts of Indiana continue to get hit with 2, 3, and 4-inch rain events. This, on top of already saturated soils, is hurting soybean growth and root development. According to Rod King, with Brodbeck Seeds, “We just do not have a good root system under this crop.” He said, in many fields, the soil is so waterlogged that there is not enough oxygen for the plants.

He told HAT the lack of good root structure is keeping soybeans short and hurting yield potential, “In saturated soils, the root systems don’t grow well and, thus, the nitrogen fixation system does not develop. The lack of nutrient and nitrogen uptake is leading to small plants and, in some cases, the crop is moving backward.”

While there are some areas of the state where the beans look good, in many areas King says yields are going to be below average, “I am not very optimistic about yield, even if we get some dry conditions. Without a good strong plant, we cannot produce yield.”

In the latest USDA report, 47% of the Indiana soybeans were rated as good to excellent while 53% were rated fair to poor, with 5% of that being rated as very poor. Nationally, 57% of the soybeans were rated as good to excellent, down from the 61% a week ago.

King says corn pollination, overall, has been generally good and disease pressure has not been excessive. “The pollination I have seen has gone very well,” he stated.

According to USDA, 67% of Indiana corn is silking, slightly behind the average.  Indiana corn is rated as 47% good to excellent, but still the lowest rating in the Eastern Corn Belt.

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