Soybean Growth and Development

Currently, most soybean fields in Ohio are at the flowering growth stage (R1-R2). (Some late-planted or re-planted soybean may still be at a vegetative stage.) Even as soybean plants begin to flower, they may only have 3-5 trifoliolates due to late planting and wet weather followed by dry conditions. However, even if plants have flowers and only a few trifoliolates, the plant will continue to add leaf area up to the R5 growth stage, which comes 4-6 weeks later.

Cool, wet weather in April and early May delayed soybean planting progress; however, with some warmer and drier days, soybean planting was 18% complete by the second week of May (Table 1). Soybeans that were planted the end of April or first week of May are likely at the VC growth stage or will be at the VC growth stage soon (Figure 1).

Table 1. Percent soybean acres planted in Ohio by week for the past five years (USDA NASS).