Steve Ruhl, Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent
Tom Weiler, Morrow County Producer
Ed Lentz, Extension Agronomy Specialist
Planting soybeans early may help to spread out planting time workload for producers. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of early planting on yields of no-till soybeans.
| Nearest Town: | Chesterville | Soil Test: | pH 6.7 |
| Major Soil Type: | Chili | P 30 ppm | |
| Drainage: | Random tile, well drained | K 123 ppm | |
| Tillage: | No-Till | Fertilizer Applied: | 200 lbs of 0-0-60 per acre |
| Previous Crop: | Corn | Herbicide Program: | 3 oz./Acre. Canopy - |
| Variety: | Callahan 7391 RR with | Preplant | |
| Supercoat Seed Treatment | 1 qt./Acre. Roundup - Post | ||
| Plant Population: | 212,000 | Planting Dates: | 3/30, 4/13, 4/24, and 5/13 |
| Harvest Date: | October 1 |
Treatments were three early planting dates and a normal mid-May planting date. A single soybean variety with a relative maturity of 4.1 was planted with a 750 JD No-Till Drill. There were three replications in a complete block design. Treatments were sequentially planted to an adjacent strip within each block and therefore were not randomized. Strip plot length averaged 959 feet with widths of 20 feet.
Soil conditions for planting were excellent on March 30 and April 13, fair on April 24, and good on May 13. Excellent = soil crumbles behind drill and no tractor cleat marks form; good = soil crumbles behind drill with some tractor cleat marks in wetter areas of field; fair = soil crumbles some behind drill, tractor cleat marks in many areas of field, and some disk furrows remain open; and poor = planter furrows do not close, seed is exposed, and cleat marks are evident all over field.
| Planting Date | % Moisture | Yield (bu/acre) |
|---|---|---|
| March 30 | 11.4 A | 51.94 A |
| April 13 | 11.3 A | 48.60 B |
| April 24 | 11.2 A | 47.90 B |
| May 13 | 11.8 B | 49.19 B |
|
Treatment means followed by the same letter are not significantly different at P
= 0.05 | ||
The yield of the earliest planted soybeans was significantly higher than the other three planting dates. Harvest moisture was significantly higher for the latest planting. All plantings had good stands of soybeans. The beans were clean and tall. The early soybeans even survived a late frost of 26 degrees F. From the results of this trial, it appears early planting can be successful in achieving good yields.
For additional information, contact:
Steve Ruhl
Ohio State University Extension, Morrow County
871 W. Marion Rd., Suite 102
Mt. Gilead, OH 43338
419-947-1070
ruhl.1@osu.edu
This project was funded in part from funds made available from the Ohio Soybean Council.