As a professional farmer, Damon Dobesh oversees all stages of cultivation, from planting to harvest. In the fall of 2016, Damon Dobesh focused on corn and soybeans.
Although the soybean yield varies significantly with weather conditions, a number of specific adjustments can help farmers to maximize outcome. One such action is to manage the pH of the soil, as soybean roots tend to produce an area of focused acidity. If the soil overall is too alkaline, nutrients cannot reach the plant. It is therefore important for farmers to maintain a soil pH of 6.0 to 7.5.
Rotation can help to make the soil itself more responsive to soybean plants, as can phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizers. The plants should be planted approximately 1 inch to 1.5 inches deep in the soil and should go in when the ground is no longer cold or wet.
Experts also urge farmers to manage seeding rate, as studies show maximum yield at around two seeds per row foot. When planted much in excess of this ideal, plant population flattens and a number of seeds go to waste. The exception to this rule occurs with late plantings, as seeds sowed after the beginning of summer tend to generate shorter plants. In these cases, more plants are necessary to make up the yield.
