Drought Damage Believed Severe in Illinois Soybeans

September 12, 2011

Drought is the biggest worry for soybeans from very low August rainfall.   Agronomists claim that August dryness is very damaging for the yield.  "Adequate moisture during the seed-filling period may completely overcome the effects of moisture stress in flowering.   In Urbana, Illinois, one inch of rain in excess of the normal for an 8-day period during the seed filling stage increased yields by at least 1.5 bushels per acre.  The seed filling period is the most critical time in the life of the soybean plant " (Modern Soybean Production, Walter Scott and Samuel Aldrich).

By contrast, very low August rainfall produces tiny seeds in the pod that shrink the yield... subscribers continue to full story...