Yields of northern grown soybeans are primarily limited by season length, but environmental stresses can further reduce yield potentials. Research in our lab has identified the critical period for yield in soybean; therefore, farmers need only position their crop for success and minimize stress during this period to maximize yields. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done.

There has been a lot of talk of very early planted soybeans in recent years. What is the value and risk of early planted soybeans? Where you should you plant your earliest soybeans and how to manage early (and late) planted soybeans? This session will focus on yield effects of environmental stresses, and how farmers can best manage their crop for good and bad years.