Plan Ahead for Soybean Success

One of the largest soybean crops ever planted in the United States is underway this season. While lower market prices may have prompted many farmers to take a closer look at soybean production, our research is showing that solid genetics coupled with innovative technology are making soybeans a valuable choice for many farmers. As crops are racing toward maturity, it’s time to start thinking about boosting soybean ROI potential for next season.
 
Change your thinking
How do you know which soybean products and technology will provide the best return for your farm? The first step is to think about soybean production differently. Research shows that, like corn, soybean crops respond positively to more intensive management, with increased emphasis on management paying off at harvest.
 
To get started, ask your local agronomist to help you sort through the complex decisions concerning trait and variety selection, seed treatments, crop protection and plant nutrition choices. Relying on high-quality data that comes from sources such as the Answer Plot^® Program can help you make informed, fact-based choices to manage next season’s environmental and production risks, no matter what conditions Mother Nature throws your way.
 
Broaden selection criteria
An important first step in soybean production is variety selection. While it’s been common to make soybean seed selections based mainly on trait package and relative maturity, there are many other factors that should also be considered. Answer Plot^® data has shown a tremendous amount of difference in specific soybean performance, depending on where the seeds are planted. For example, two varieties that would be expected to yield similarily on average, can perform in incredibly different ways when placed in a high-yield environment versus a low-yield environment, or in sandy soil versus heavy soil, for example. Your local advisor can help you review performance data to select the best varieties to match your conditions and planned management.
 
Address field variability
Choosing just one soybean variety for an entire field can be challenging, since most fields include a range of conditions. To help farmers manage field variability, CROPLAN^® seed offers WinPak^® soybean products, which include a unique combination of two soybean varieties that are designed to deliver stability throughout the field and capture the full yield potential of your acres.
 
The complementary products in each CROPLAN WinPak^® product provide a natural hedge against each season’s unknown conditions, working together to increase yield potential on tough acres while maintaining yield in higher-producing areas. Answer Plot^® data has also shown that WinPak^® varieties out-performed their individual component varieties across maturity groups.
 
As harvest approaches, take a few minutes to review how your soybean crop has performed this season and talk to your local advisor about choosing the right varieties for next year.