Drought Impact On Soybean Crop [Listen]

David Kee is the research director for the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. Late last week after the widespread rains I talked with David about how beneficial the rain was for our soybean crop. It sure would have been nice to get the rain at least a couple weeks sooner. Remember the old phrase the "bean crop is made in August" and most of August was very warm and dry!

During the week of the Steele County Fair driving Interstate 35 from Faribault to Owatonna you could see the beans under moisture stress. Areas of lighter soil with less water holding capacity they were getting more yellow every day. Then those areas were turning brown. David said as long as there were green bean leaves the rain will help with the size and weight of the bean seed.

However, David said he could foresee a problem harvesting the beans. Some areas of severe moisture stress the beans were shutting down. They will be dry and ready for harvest well ahead of other parts of the field with heavier soil. Another words, many different ranges of maturity in one field.

There also could be a  late flush of weeds with the bean canopy opening up because of the drought. Click on the link and listen to David discuss the drought's impact on soybean yields.