MSSOY Information Resources for In-season Management of Early Soybean Plantings

Early plantings of soybean made in the Midsouth are now or soon will be starting reproductive development. This means that most necessary weed control will have been accomplished, and it is time to start management for maximum seed yield.

Growth Stages. Most of the inputs that are or will be applied to soybean during reproductive development are timed to occurrence of R stages. Click here for resources that can be checked to ensure that each of these stages is properly determined. A new post on this website is a slide show that provides excellent pictorial detail for each of the developmental stages.

Irrigation Management. Research has conclusively shown that irrigation of early-planted soybean should begin no later than R3. Use soil moisture sensor readings to determine if irrigation should start earlier than this, and to determine when irrigation should be re-applied to soybean as reproductive development progresses.

Insect Management. Control/management of insect pests of soybean is especially critical during reproductive phases because tolerated foliage loss to insects is significantly lower during reproductive phases than during vegetative phases. Thus, scouting for invasive insects that will threaten maximum soybean yield potential should now be intensified. Click here for a summary of control guidelines for the various damaging insect species, and here for the detailed MSU-ES insect control guidelines for soybean.

Disease Management. Most control measures for disease pathogens that are known to impact soybean yield are usually started at R3. Click here for the White Paper and other resources that can be used to identify major soybean pathogens and their control options, as well as a summary of important diseases that should be monitored and options for their control.

Click here for links to all information on MSSOY.

Composed by Larry G. Heatherly, May 2017, larryheatherly@bellsouth.net