What happens if you combine your crop, and the yield monitor stays below your expectations? Is it time to throw in the towel? Or can you learn by asking questions about why yields fell short?
"Some of us may be in that situation since the last part of the season turned extremely dry," says Steve Gauck, a regional agronomy manager for Beck's, based near Greensburg, Ind. Beck's sponsors Soybean Watch '24.
One of Gauck's roles is monitoring progress of the Soybean Watch '24 field in south-central Indiana. It could yield better than many fields. "It has irrigation, and the grower used it judiciously," Gauck says. "That could help bean size, which will be a big issue in some dryland fields."
Tracking causes of low yield
Suppose your yields are OK, but lower than you hoped. Here are questions Gauck suggests asking to determine why:
How early did you plant? When Mother Nature allows it, Gauck notes that Beck's Practical Farm Research data shows a marked advantage for planting from mid-April to mid-May. In Indiana alone, Shaun Casteel, Purdue Extension soybean specialist, says that from 2008 to 2018, soybeans were planted an average of 14 days behind corn. In 2018, that number moved to only four days behind, and according to USDA, is now only one and a half days behind. At the same time, the Indiana soybean crops broke the state record in 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2023.
How much rain did you get in midseason? Some places got almost too much rain, but some areas missed out. "If you inspect plants before harvest, look at pods up and down the plant," Gauck says. "If you find several two-bean pods in the middle, does it match up with a dry spell? Weather during the growing season can impact how plants develop."
How much rain did you get late in the season? From mid- to late August until mid-September is a critical time for soybeans. "If you didn't receive much rain, it may have led to some pod abortion and abortion of beans within pods," Gauck says.
How big are individual soybeans? Are soybeans smaller than normal for that variety? "Individual seed size is a big factor in final yields," Gauck says. "If the plant continues moving sugars from leaves and stems during late reproductive stages, you wind up with bigger beans. Interfering with that process because moisture is short can result in small seed size."
Was it very dry at harvest? Did soybeans shatter? Did you lose dry weight? Some early soybeans were harvested at 10% or lower moisture. "Shattering losses increase as moisture drops," Gauck says. "That is why some people aim to start at 14% moisture. Also, stems can stay green while pods and beans inside are dry. The greenish stem color may keep you from thinking beans are ready."
