Delayed Soybean Planting Considerations

In wet springs, it is not unusual for soybean planting in the U.S.

Corn Belt to extend into June.

• Drastic management changes are generally not required with

later planting; however, some adjustments may be helpful in

maximizing yield when soybean planting is delayed.

Switching to an earlier maturity variety is generally not

necessary unless planting is delayed past mid-June.

• Compared to corn, soybean has a greater ability to adjust to

later planting.

• A 5-year Iowa State University field study comparing yield of

1.7 and 3.0 MG varieties across a range of planting dates found

that the later maturity variety had greater yield, even with

planting in early June (Figure 1).

• Later planted soybean will take longer to reach physiological

maturity, but not by a lot – Generally, a 3-week delay in planting

equates to a 1-week delay in physiological maturity.

• A South Dakota State University study found that switching

from a 2.8 to a 1.8 MG variety with mid-June planting only

reduced the time to maturity by 5 days (Nygren et al., 2019).

If planting is delayed past mid-June, it is generally recommended

to switch to a variety 0.5 to 1.0 MG shorter than normal

for your area, as frost prior to maturity becomes more of a

concern with very late-planted soybean. Consult your Pioneer

sales professional for specific variety recommendations.