As soybean growers face razor-thin margins next year, the temptation to chase new products and practices is understandable. But decades of research show that the most reliable return on investment doesn’t come in a jug—it comes from focusing on good fundamentals.
University of Minnesota Extension agronomist Seth Naeve tells Farming The Countryside host Andrew McCrea there are a number of reliable practices that can help farmers grow more profitable soybeans with little or no added cost next season. Here are five of them:
1. Use Row Spacing To Your Advantage.
Row spacing is one of the most underrated tools farmers have available, Naeve reports. Across a wide range of environments, narrowing soybeans from 30-inch rows to 20–22 inches will deliver about a 5% yield increase.
“That’s three or four bushels, in a lot of cases,” he says. “Farmers are working really hard, buying a lot of products out there, trying to increase their yields by two or three bushels; whereas, adjusting their row spacing would get them to that basically guaranteed.”
Naeve adds that if farmers go from 30-inch rows to drilled soybeans, they could potentially pick up 10% additional yield.
“That would take you from 60 bushels to 66 bushels or from 80 bushels to 88 bushels. It’s not at all unrealistic,” he says.
Why narrow rows deliver on better yield: the canopy closes faster, there’s better light interception by the crop and more efficient use of space.
Naeve says he has preached the message that farmers can benefit from going with narrow rows for years, but the practice hasn’t gained as much traction as he believes it warrants. Equipment cost has been one deterrent, and the other is farmers just haven’t bought into the practice.
“Farmers pretty much universally believe that the row spacing they’re using is probably the best for them, and I think that makes them feel comfortable about their systems,” Naeve says. “I certainly can’t argue with them if that’s really their belief.”
Still, Naeve wants to encourage farmers who are changing planters or open to adjusting their systems to seriously consider going with narrow rows.
2. Consider Whether You Can Scale Back On Plant Population.
Research shows farmers can achieve maximum soybean yields with fewer plants per acre when they focus on achieving a uniform stand across fields.
“We can optimize yields at very low levels” Naeve says. “We have done a ton of research showing where we have yields that are maximized at below 100,000 plants per acre, as long as they’re well distributed.”
Naeve says to use precision placement practices where possible. You can adjust seeding rates upward as needed to address tough areas within fields, higher risk conditions (cold, crusting soils), or if you’re using lower-quality seed.
“My take home on this is a farmer wants to ensure they’ve got 100,000 plants on every single acre of their whole farm,” Naeve says. “But if they don’t sleep well at night because they’re concerned about their crop, adding another 5,000 or 10,000 seeds is an easy way to fix it.”
3. Plant Early—Within Reason.
Naeve says across most of the Midwest, the sweet spot for planting soybeans is from late April into early May.
“Very early May planting puts us into a situation where we can basically maximize yields across almost all the Corn Belt,” he notes.
Going earlier than late April can help yields in some years, but risk rises from poor environmental conditions (cold, wet soils). A freeze will also cancel the benefits.
For many growers, Naeve says the “real decision” is whether to plant soybeans or corn first, and more farmers are finding that putting some soybeans in the ground ahead of corn can be a winning strategy.
4. Consider Using Reduced Tillage.
In northern areas like Minnesota, full no-till soybeans often lag a few bushels behind conventional tillage due to slower warming of soils and slower emergence. But Naeve says there is a lot of middle ground for farmers to consider with their tillage practices.
For one, he says strip tillage can deliver comparable results to full tillage with less fuel and machinery costs along with providing less soil disturbance.
“Reducing the number of passes, even if not full no-till, saves money and protects soil health without a big yield hit,” he says.
5. Spend Input Dollars Where You Know They Pay.
Stay with tried-and-true products in these tight times, Naeve encourages. He says research shows that products sold mainly as yield enhancers or general “plant health” boosters rarely deliver consistent yield benefits across multiple locations and years.
What does consistently pay: making sure fertility, especially macronutrients, is not yield limiting, and investing the time to choose the best varieties for your ground and practices.
“Variety selection is one of the most profitable decisions a soybean farmer makes, yet it is also one of the hardest,” he says. “If farmers move from premium brands to more economical seed this season, they can still do well, but they must be more careful in sorting through the options because there may be more variability in performance.”
Get more insights on how to make soybeans more profitable in the year ahead by listening to the discussion between Naeve and McCrea on Farming The Countryside at the link below:
