Soybean School: Pod colour helps target burndown timing

With the days of September ticking by, some soybean growers may be getting antsy to desiccate and get harvest underway; however, timing a pre-harvest application is critical to maximize yields and reap the rewards of the growing season.

For this Soybean School episode, Rob Miller, agronomist with BASF, talks about what to look for when deciding when to spray, estimating drying time, and how to combat weeds at this time in the season.

Some producers may keep an eye out for dropping leaves as an indicator to get out in the field; however, Miller says pod colour is far more important when scouting fields.

“Forget about how many leaves have dropped, focus on the pods that have changed colour. So for most products, you want to actually wait until 90 per cent of the pods have changed to brown, it’s always good to open up the pods and ensure the seeds have detach from the pod,” says Miller.

He adds that to reduce the chance of residue on the grain, it’s better to spray on the later side oppose to jumping the gun and spraying too early.

Miller says producers need to be mindful on when is ideal to spray a certain product and also highlights the importance of water volume stating growers should be using a minimum of 20 gallons per acre, where some are using 30 gallons per acre and slowing their speed through the field.

In this episode, Miller details what producers need to watch for and how to combat weeds within their soybean fields and discusses the specifics of desiccating as some are chomping at the bit to get the soybeans out and winter wheat in.

For more Soybean School episodes including how to combat spider mites and how clay soil affects seeding depth, click here.

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