Which beans should you plant first?
By TOM J. BECHMAN
Suppose you’re planning your soybean planting. You can plant varieties ranging from very early to very full season for your area Which varieties should you load into the seed tender first?
Ryan McAllister, Beck’s Hybrids, Parker City, certified crop adviser: If I’m a grower that typically plants soybeans in a week to 10-day period, then I don’t believe it makes that much difference. However, if you get delayed two to three weeks (which happened in May to many producers in 2010), I would have wanted to have my 4.0 maturity (full-season) soybeans in the ground.
I won’t delay harvest much at all planting my 2.9 maturity (short-season) soybeans two weeks later than my 4.0 maturity soybeans.
Danny Greene, Greene Consulting Inc., Franklin, certified crop adviser: I would take a similar approach to planting soybean varieties as I would take to planting corn hybrids — long-season varieties first, short-season varieties last. Again, don’t be afraid to plant a solid agronomic, early-maturing variety early to test equipment and take advantage of premium opportunities.
Farmer tried-and-true tip: If you’ve got a few fields, particularly small fields, that aren’t tiled and tend to stay wet longer, try planting medium to early varieties there first, even if you start planting in mid-April. That increases chances of harvesting fields early without creating ruts.
This article published in the February, 2011 edition of INDIANA PRAIRIE FARMER.
All rights reserved. Copyright Farm Progress Cos. 2011.