When the days get shorter and temperatures start to cool, leaves on soybean plants slowly turn yellow. By mid-October and November, these leaves turn brown and fall off, leaving the mature soybean pods behind, ready for harvest.

How long can soybeans stay in the field?

Under average weather conditions, soybean will reach 13 percent moisture in about 12 days following maturity. However, if weather conditions are conducive, grain dry down can be achieved in as early as nine days after maturity.

What do soybeans look like when ready to harvest?

What Do Mature Soybeans Look Like? Fully mature soybean pods should be gray, tan or brown, but the seed should not be rattling loose in the pod. A mature crop that is ready for commercial harvest will have individual seeds or beans that are firm and oval-shaped. The moisture content of these beans will be about 13%.

Can soybeans be too dry to harvest?

You lose money on soybeans when selling beans below 13 percent moisture because soybeans are sold by weight. Soybeans dry quickly and should be harvested before they become overly dry. Elevators dock for moisture of 13.5 percent, but do not pay you if moisture is less that 13.5 percent.

What moisture should you harvest soybeans?

Harvesting soybeans at a moisture content between 13 and 15 percent helps maximize weight while minimizing harvest losses. Spoilage during storage is a concern when moisture levels are high.

Harvesting Soybeans #GOTIME

23 related questions found

What is the best moisture to harvest soybeans?

The optimum harvest moisture range is 13 percent to 15 percent for maximum weight and minimum field losses. Soybeans can generally be harvested any time after the seeds are mature and the foliage is dry. But threshing is difficult and more beans are crushed and bruised when harvested with more than 18 percent moisture.

Can soybeans be harvested in spring?

If weather conditions don't improve, some producers may consider leaving the beans in the field over the winter and harvesting them in the spring. This is a risky practice. ... Producers that consistently harvest soybeans in November should consider planting earlier maturing soybean varieties.

How many soybeans does a plant produce?

They produce an average of 1.5 to 2.5 pods between nodes 6 and 15. For a 60-bushel crop, more of the yield comes between nodes 5 to 17 with 2.0 to 2.5 pods per nod found (see the bell curve illustration).

What time of year do you plant soybeans?

Sow and Plant

Plant seeds from spring to early summer. Soya beans must have warm soil to germinate and grow. Poke holes into a cultivated bed or row to plant soybean seeds about 5 cm (2in) apart and 1 cm (1/2in) deep.

How much does a farmer make per acre of soybeans?

Soybeans in 2019

For 2019, crop revenue for soybeans was $547 per acre based on a 64 bushel per acre yield and an $8.55 per bushel price. Soybean crop revenue in 2019 includes $10 per acre for ARC/PLC and $82 per acre for MFP payments, the same as for corn.

How do they harvest soybeans?

Soybeans are harvested using a large piece of equipment called a combine, which cuts the plants and separates the now-dried beans from the pods. The final harvested product is a small dry bean resembling a brown version of a dried pea.

Will soybeans freeze dry in the field?

Soybeans that experienced severe frost/freeze damage extending well into the crop canopy will dry down slowly. ... In fields where only the upper leaves were damaged by frost, wait and allow the beans to mature and dry to 14% to 15% in the field if possible.

What month are soybeans planted?

Plant seeds from late spring to early summer. Soybeans must have warm soil to germinate and grow. Poke holes into a cultivated bed or row to plant soybean seeds about 2 inches (5 cm) apart and one-half inch (1 cm) deep.

How late can I plant soybeans?

"Soybean planted in mid- to late June needn't be managed much differently than early-planted soybeans. Our recent research indicates that narrow rows tend to yield more regardless of planting date, and raising seeding rates seldom produces an advantage when planting late," he says.

Do you need to fertilize soybeans?

Traditionally, soybean has been grown successfully without addition of N fertilizer. N management has been limited to rhizobia inoculation of fields new to soybean. An N "budget" developed from numerous research studies shows that soil and fixed N are generally sufficient to supply N needs at yields up to 60 bu/acre.

Where do soybeans grow best?

Climate. Soybeans are usually grown in cool, temperate regions like the midwestern United States and southern Canada, but tropical climates like Indonesia also produce soybeans. This crop can grow almost anywhere with a warm growing season, ample water, and sunlight.

How deep should you plant soybeans?

While the ISU Extension and Outreach publication Soybean Growth and Development (PM 1945) notes that soybean should be planted at 1 to 1.5 inches deep and no deeper than 2 inches for maximum yield potential, soybean planting depth should be field specific and based on soil conditions at the time of planting.

Is soybean a seasonal crop?

Soybean is the major oilseed crop cultivated during Kharif season. Sowing starts in June and the crop gets harvested in September. It has been observed that prices start to fall during the sowing and planting stage, and continue to decline further during the crop development stages in July, August and September.

What is the growing season for wheat?

Sow and Plant

Sow in late summer or early autumn for an overwintered crop. Spring wheat can be planted while the soil is still cool.

Are soybeans perennial or annual?

Annual plants, such as corn and soybeans, complete their life cycle in one growing season and then die. Perennials, such as white clover and chicory, live for more than two years. Both have advantages and drawbacks when used in food plots.

How wet is too wet for soybeans?

Harvesting a Wet Crop

Soybeans can be harvested successfully as long as the moisture content is 20% or below. However, harvesting above 13 to 15% grain moisture plant stems will be difficult to cut, so ensure cutter knives are sharp and the cutter bar is in good condition.

Why do we harvest beans at night?

Longwell's New Holland TR86 combine harvesting soybeans during the nighttime. ... Header-control helps the soybeans follow the contour of the ground, but if it's too aggressive, it will start pushing the bean head into the mud. I have found that slowing the bean-head reel speed as much as possible decreases shattering.

At what moisture are soybeans considered dry?

By definition, a standard bushel of soybeans weighs 60 pounds and is 13% moisture. Since 13% of the weight is water, only 87% is dry matter.

How cold is too cold to plant soybeans?

Risk of Freezing Injury

Temperatures below 32º F (0º C) can cause frost damage to emerged soybean plants, while temperatures below 28º F (-2º C) for an extended period of time (>4 hrs) can be lethal, especially on lighter-textured soils.