Midsouth and US Soybean Yields--2016-2020

Soybean yields in the Midsouthern states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee in relation to national average yields during the past 5 years are shown in Table 1. In years 2017-2020, average soybean yields in Mississippi equaled or exceeded 50 bu/acre, and average yields in Louisiana and Mississippi exceeded the national average in those years. In years 2017-2019, average soybean yields in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi equaled or exceeded the national average. Thus, soybean producers in the Midsouth continue to lead the way in soybean production.

Soybean producers in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi continue to plant a significant acreage of soybeans by early May (Table 1), and this likely continues to be a significant contributor to the high yields in these states. Of course, the above-average rainfall coupled with few periods of drought in most areas was also a contributing factor to the high yields in 2020. The continued high soybean yields in the Midsouthern US are a testament to ever-improving varieties, well-managed irrigation, and producers’ application of best management practices from pre-planting through harvest.

Composed by Larry G. Heatherly, Nov. 2020, larryheatherly@bellsouth.net