Thinking About Planting Early?

Feb 14, 2024


tractor in tilled field
As one local farmer observed last week, “I can’t go ice fishing, so maybe I should start planting!”
 
The itch for spring is real as “winter” temperatures reach record highs. What this El Niño winter ultimately delivers moving into spring remains to be seen, but that farmer’s jesting was close to truth: Don’t wait too long to plant soybeans.
 
Yield data from Winfield United® Answer Plots® show that soybean planting delays can significantly impact soybean yields (see chart). With “$11.50+/bu. beans,” said Kevin Carlson, Federated’s agronomy sales manager, “that’s a $50-75/ac. loss.” Link to Winfield slide.
 
While it’s common practice to plant corn and then soybeans, “a good day to plant corn is also a good day to plant beans,” said Carlson. With properly treated soybean seed (Federated recommends CruiserMaxx® APX), there’s little chance of frost damage on early planted soybeans.
 
“In my 35 years as an agronomist [and crop producer], we’ve only had one spring where soybeans had to be replanted due to frost,” he said. (Plus, seed treatments are greatly improved today, too.)
 
Talk to your Federated Agronomist about soybean seed treatments and make plans to get both soybeans and corn planted before yield potentials diminish.
 

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