The Soybean Watch ’20 field in central Indiana was no-tilled with a 15-inch, split-row planter into cornstalks. In fact, the residue was heavy, as this soybean crop is following 240-bushel-per-acre corn on irrigated land. The field was planted June 5, and Steve Gauck evaluated it on July 2. Soybeans were just transitioning from V2 to V3, which means they were going from the two-trifoliate stage to the three-trifoliate stage. Some were in between.

“We can pick on a few things here and there, and we will do that as we go through the season to make some important points,” notes Gauck, regional agronomy manager for Beck’s, based near Greensburg, Ind.  “However, overall, I would rate this field as a good, uniform stand of soybeans.

“The grower did a good job of doing what he needed to do to establish a uniform field and get them off to a good start in a no-till setting. Heavy residue poses challenges, and we can work through those later. But if you start with some basics, you improve your odds for getting a good stand. That’s what we see here.”

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No-till basics

The grower did two things extremely well, plus he took advantage of having irrigation at his disposal, Gauck says.

Related:Solid stand sets stage for good yields in Soybean Watch field

“He selected a good planting depth, around an inch and a half deep,” Gauck begins. “We’re seeing more people plant soybeans a bit deeper than in the past, and I believe it’s paying off. There is a better chance of getting them into uniform moisture and getting uniform emergence.

“When you do that, there is also a good chance that nodulation will develop on time, and soybeans will transition to getting nitrogen from bacteria working inside those nodules. It certainly seemed to work in the field we’re following this year.”

Even though he planted relatively deep and into moisture, several dry, warm days following planting tended to dry out the soil, especially on some soils within the field. Since the grower had irrigation available, he made an irrigation pass to ensure the soybeans would germinate and emerge uniformly.

“It’s a good example of using the tools you have available,” Gauck says. “Not everyone has irrigation, but since he did, he used it at just the right time to ensure as uniform of emergence as possible. If you don’t have irrigation, you must rely on rain. Planting into moisture becomes even more important.”

The other thing this grower did was make sure his planter was in top condition. It spaced soybeans more evenly than is possible with a drill.

“He approached picket-fence stands in beans in most of the field,” Gauck observes. “We normally think about that for corn. Perhaps it’s a bigger deal in corn, but it’s still desirable to have evenly spaced soybeans that emerge together, if possible.”

That starts with preseason preparation and making sure each row unit is ready to perform, Gauck says. If you’re counting on getting through heavy residue and placing soybeans at a uniform depth and even spacing, you must have a planter adjusted for the conditions, he concludes.