- 1). Plant high yielding, disease resistant varieties. New, higher yielding varieties of soybeans are developed every year. Check with your local agricultural extension office for the highest yielding and most disease resistant varieties best suited for your location.
- 2). Plant early. Soybeans were traditionally planted in mid May in the Great Plains region of the United States. Tests conducted since 2003 show that planting the last week of April in the southern regions and the first week of May in the northern regions lead to increased yields 84% of the time. The plants developed more stem nodes which leads to more flowers and seed pods, which leads to more beans.
- 3). Plant varieties that mature at different times. Plant half of your crop with the variety best suited to your location. Plant the remaining half with equal amounts of two other varieties--one that matures earlier and one that matures later. All the varieties will be in different stages of growth at any one time. This increases your chances of high yields despite weather, disease, or pests.
- 4). Provide consistent, thorough weed control. Soybeans are extremely sensitive to competition from weeds. Remove weeds or mulch with 3 to 6 inches of straw or hay to help prevent weeds from growing. Apply mulch after soybeans have germinated and emerged from ground.
- 5). Provide adequate moisture. Make sure soybeans get at least an inch of water per week.
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