According to the Jan. 12, 2015 NASS crop report, the Midsouth had a banner year for soybeans (see below table), with high-yield records in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Looking at the soybean yield records for the same states from 2010 to the present, the Midsouth states have made significant yield gains over the last 5 years compared to the Midwest states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Nebraska.

This trend is a phenomenal change from that of the previous decades of soybean production in the Midsouth. While I am not qualified to offer an explanation for this surge in soybean yields in the Midsouth, I do believe that it results from the increased adoption of proven Best Management Practices (BMPs) by the region’s soybean producers; i.e., I do not believe this latest yield trend is a fluke.

The big question, of course, is: Can this yield level be maintained over the next several years, or even better, can the trend of increasing yields be continued in the Midsouth?

As an optimist, I answer yes to the first part of the question, and a hopeful yes to the second part. As a realist, it will require the adoption of proven present and future BMPs across the entire region for me to answer a confident yes to both parts of the question.

I am confident that this can be done, and the MSPB is working diligently to provide the newest and latest production information to support that adoption. Keep checking this website for current, updated information on most if not all subjects that pertain to soybean production in the Midsouth.

Composed by Larry G. Heatherly, Nov. 2014, larryheatherly@bellsouth.net