Steve Gauck walked into the Soybean Watch ’24 field on a Friday morning in late June with apprehension. He could tell by looking that these soybeans were shorter than expected for their planting date, May 12. One hour later, he walked out of the field confident that the plants were setting the table for a very good crop, depending on how the rest of the season unfolds.
“What we found when we started examining plants was that they were doing what soybeans do best — compensating for their environment,” says Gauck, a regional manager for Beck’s, based near Greensburg, Ind. Beck’s sponsors Crop Watch ’24.
“Their reaction to the environment, especially unusually high temperatures this early in the season, is twofold,” he explains. “They are putting on more branches, which should mean more total nodes and pods by the end of the season. And they’re stacking nodes closer together on the stem, which also should result in more total nodes, pods and potentially high yields.”
These soybeans were just beginning to flower, putting them in the very early stages of R1. Even though flowering kicks off the reproductive phase, the vegetative phase will continue, and they will keep growing, branching and putting on more nodes.
“This could be a year where soybeans don’t get that tall, at least where these conditions exist,” Gauck adds. “But you don’t need lots of height to harvest top yields. You need the maximum number of pods that plants can fill.”
Second-half question marks
Pod development will depend on how the rest of the season turns out. Rainfall will be needed at key times, especially in August, to fill out beans in all the pods that should form on extra nodes and branches. This field has a built-in secret weapon: irrigation.
“We don’t want to irrigate at this point in the season unless it becomes absolutely necessary,” Gauck says. “Right now, we are seeing the benefits of some stress, causing plants to branch and stack nodes close together.
“If the hot, dry spell continued long enough that plants began to show signs of nutrient deficiency, then it might be necessary to irrigate so they could take up nutrients. Potassium is likely to be the first deficiency that would appear. Upper leaves take on a yellowish appearance, especially out on leaf margins.”
For now, the irrigation rig remains parked. In fact, a decent rain occurred the weekend after Gauck visited this field. Stay tuned!
From the field:
Different areas battling unusual conditions
A wide range of scenarios is unfolding in soybean fields across the Midwest. These reports from Beck’s field agronomists underscore what is happening throughout the country.
In Iowa. “The state is back in a rainy weather pattern. Rains and heat are moving beans along. Early-planted beans are at R1, beginning flower. There is some severe flooding in northwest Iowa. We are all hoping that is the last of the severe weather for the summer. We’ve seen some septoria brown spot in southern Iowa.” — Greg Shepherd
In South Dakota. “Last week [ending June 23] was one for the record books in some areas. Some received annual rainfall numbers in a matter of a few days. Where I live in the southeast, it was over 12 inches last Thursday and Friday. Areas to the north fared much better. We have soybeans still under water and areas where water moved through them. Time will tell if they make it.
“Earlier-planted beans are at R1. A couple guys are adding a foliar nutrient to their weed spray. This is the ideal time for a foliar, where a fungicide seems to work best at R3. There is still talk of guys replanting, too.” — Jerry Mathis
In Wisconsin. “The state received welcome sunshine and heat along with continued rains last week. Beans grew rapidly. Earliest plantings are in the V4 to V6 growth stage, with a few plants officially at R1, with the appearance of their first flower. We are still very wet across most areas, and it seems to be slowing down nodulation. Most bean fields are lighter green in color. Root and stem rots may be prevalent this year. With onset of flowering during damp conditions, white mold risk is high. Proactive Cobra and early white mold fungicide applications aiming to reduce white mold infection will be very likely this year.” — Joey Heneghan
In Kansas. “Planting is all but done for the most part. Heat is setting in now, unfortunately. I am also seeing soybeans branching out more versus growing upwards. The soybeans themselves look good with lots of nodes and blooms, just quite a bit shorter so far to this point than same time last year.
