Delayed soybean planting may reduce yields

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Soybean yields may be lower this year as weather forces farmers to postpone planting, says a University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist.

The June 3 USDA Agriculture Statistics Service Crop Progress Report shows only 36 percent of the crop planted. That puts planting 21 days behind historically warm and dry 2012, and nine days behind the average, said Bill Wiebold.

As of June 2, many areas of the state reported less than 20 percent of all soybean crops planted. Typically, 50 percent of Missouri’s 5 million acres of soybeans are planted by this time.

Areas of the state hit especially hard by above-average precipitation in late May, including the northeast, west central, central and southwest, show less than 20 percent of the crop planted.

Wiebold conducted 12 experiments over a 10-year period to analyze the impact of late planting dates on yield.

Beans planted by mid-May yielded an average of 70 bushels per acre, with yields dropping to approximately 65 by June 1 and 60 by June 15, he said. Beans planted by July 15 dropped to less than half the yield of those planted in mid-May.

USDA also reports that 86 percent of all corn crops were planted in Missouri. That likely will be the entire crop, Wiebold said, because most producers with unplanted fields are now switching to soybeans.

Because of all the rain, some corn may need to be replanted due to poor stands or no seed emergence, he said.

USDA reported that 8 percent of the corn crop was reported to be poor or very poor and emergence was only 72 percent complete.