C.O.R.N. Newsletter

Wet weather has kept many farmers (and us) out of the field.  According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, as of May 15, 10% of the soybean acres were planted.  At the same time last year, 46% of soybean planting was complete.  On average, in Ohio, the majority of soybean acres are planted mid to late May (Table 1).  Although, it is not uncommon for soybean planting to creep into June.  In general, we don’t recommend altering soybean management until planting in June.  Below are some guidelines to consider if planting soybeans in June.

Beekeepers in Ohio benefitted from the generally mild winter of 2015-2016.  In Columbus we lost less than 20% of our colonies over winter.  Spring is the only reliably good season for bees in Ohio.  Colonies that survived the winter and new colonies brought up from the Gulf Coast or California are currently in the process of harvesting nectar and pollen from spring-blooming trees and weeds.  Little honey will be made from this spring bounty as most will be eaten by the bees themselves as they multiply and grow into large productive colonies that will be able to make a honey crop off of clov

Planting date.  Planting date (both too early and too late) can reduce soybean yield potential.  In 2013 and 2014, we conducted a planting date trial at the Western Agricultural Research Station near South Charleston, Ohio.  In both years, soybean yield decreased by 0.6 bu/ac per day when planting after mid-May.  (Note: Soil temperatures were >50°F at each planting date.)  The greatest benefit of planting May 1 to mid-May is canopy closure which increases light interception, improves weed control by shading out weeds, and helps retain soil moisture. 

The majority of the soybean acres in Ohio have been planted.  (According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 85% of the soybean acres were planted by May 31.)  However, even if 5% of the soybean acres are not yet planted, with 5.1 million acres of soybean in Ohio, there are still 255,000 acres left to plant.  There are three things to consider when planting soybean in June: 1.) row width, 2.) seeding rate, and 3.) relative maturity.