Fact 101: How To Produce The Best Quality Soy Beans
Soybean is one of the most nutritious cash crops you can consider planting in your field. Besides being beneficial to human health, soybean is also essential to domestic animals and can help boost their production. Since they are versatile, soybean can be consumed in various ways, such as soy oil, flour, milk, or yogurt.
Though it originated in Asia, soybean production is now being practiced in most parts of the world, especially in South America. Good production practices, better farm management, and the right tools and equipment can help improve the general production and the quality of your yields.
If you want to learn how to produce high-quality soybeans, please read this article and get essential tips.
1. Choosing Seed and Seed Treatment
Choosing the right seed is an essential step, as it will significantly determine the quality of your harvest. There are several factors you have to consider when selecting your soybean seeds, such as field history, planting dates, field condition, seed fertility, and germination rate. You can also choose U.S soy seeds based on specific characteristics such as the ability to withstand drought, yield rate, color, and strong wind. These seeds are considered the best quality due to their robust characteristics.
Several pesticides and fungicides can be used to treat soybean seeds. Considering field history as a primary factor helps you understand the treatment your seed needs before planting. For example, if your land has a high risk of diseases during seedlings, you should consider fungicide treatment.
Similarly, if your field is prone to insects and pesticides attack, you should go for insecticide seed treatment. You can also give your seed a fungicide treatment before planting. Cool and wet soil can increase the risk of seedling diseases, hence making fungicide treatment helpful as a preventive measure.
2. Planting Time
Timing is everything when it comes to producing high-quality soybeans. To determine when to plant, check on your soil and weather conditions. Your soil must have enough moisture to facilitate germination while the weather should be in a warm trend. The temperature should be at least ten degrees Celsius to provide ideal warmth to your soil. You can research the weather patterns in your area and the perfect time to plant your soybean seeds.
However, due to modern technology, there has been an improvement in seed treatment, which has significantly changed the planting process. Most soybean producers can plant at any time of the year due to the modifications done to the seed.
3. Appropriate Tools and Equipment
Most farmers rotate corn-planting production with soybean and use the same tools and equipment. To ensure better germination and rapid growth, you must provide that the seeds are in better contact with the soil and well-placed into the ground. A corn planter is most recommended compared to a grain drill. Nevertheless, modern drills have been advanced to provide better depth control, making them ideal.
4. Seed Depth and Spacing
Seed depth is an essential factor affecting your soybean plant’s growth. To know the ideal seed depth, you should consider the soil type and its condition during planting. Well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 and above is appropriate for quality soybean production; sandy and dry soil is not recommended.
A 1½ to 2 inches seed depth is ideal for moist and dry soil conditions. The soil depth enables the seed to access uniform and adequate moisture to boost its growth.
Moreover, spacing is crucial to consider if you want the best soy yield. Spacing ensures no congestion in your field, and the plant can get enough space to yield. Spacing will depend on the size of your field and the number of seeds you want to plant.
5. Weed Control
Weed control is a significant concern during the early stages of your plant growth. Applying the right methods and procedures to control weeds will tremendously impact your plant yield. You can use residual herbicides to control weeds that have to remain active in the soil for longer. Residual herbicides are effective in dealing with glyphosate-resistant weeds. To activate and work effectively, residual herbicides need regulated moisture or chemicals to help break them down.
If you are planting a no-tillage glyphosate-resistant soybean, ensure you use a burn-down herbicide before or during plating, especially if there is a weed cover. Pruning is also an effective method of weed control.
6. Harvesting
Once your soybeans mature, you must harvest them using appropriate machines and procedures. The leaves of mature beans change from green to yellow, then later turn to brown, and they can start to fall off. Fallen leaves expose the matured pods, indicating your soybeans are ready for harvest.
A combine harvester is a standard machine for harvesting soybean and other grains such as wheat and corn. It is fast, efficient, and effective. The machine helps to separate the soybean from their pods and stems.
The soybean grains are then collected into the holding tank in the back while the stem and pods are excreted as trash. Once harvested, soybean is ready for processing and can be used to produce products such as soy oil, milk, or flour.
Wrapping Up
Production of high-high quality soybean requires a systematic procedure. However, you must consider the seed variety, weather conditions, and soil type to get the best yield. Consulting experts or experienced farmers can help you better understand the appropriate method to use when producing soybean. Further, once you have harvested your soybean, ensure they are well-preserved before processing or supplying.
