It seems the 2013 soybean crop defied the odds and managed to pleasantly surprise a number of farmers with decent yields. The final provincial average tally is yet to come in, but it will likely settle somewhere around the 45 or 46 bushel per acre mark. Not too shabby, considering a tough season of untimely rain, root rots, thin stands, insect pest and disease pressure and a lengthy harvest season (though not nearly so bad as the corn crop, some of which is still standing).
See more: Why testing for soybean cyst nematode is a must in 2014
Horst Bohner, Ontario provincial soybean specialist, walks through the growing season with Ontario field editor Bern Tobin, highlighting where soybeans could have gone wrong, but didn’t. There are two key messages in the video below: one, big yields use soil nutrients and soil levels of potash and phosphorus are being mined quite low in some areas; and, variety selection based on the weak points of a field (rather than the high hopes of what may be possible) is likely the best place to start. Watch the video for more.
Need help choosing an appropriate variety? Visit www.gosoy.ca.
If you cannot see the embedded video, click here.