And, one I am sure many will ask.  Drought is on the mind of most farmers.  We are damper here than most of you and we still don't have subsoil moisture recharged.  OM content is key to storing moisture in the soil and I don't have much but I had more than I did.

There is one point I just saw in my PDF "Growing High Yield NoTill Soybeans" that is should be on all our minds.  Did our rhizobia die in last year's drought?  How did that affect the yield?  Is my soil barren of rhizobia starting out this year?

I am planning Excalibre on my seed and GraphEx on top of it in the planter box to insure high populations two different methods.  There is great interest in doing that this year.

Here is a link of some great topics I have looked at I suggest we both read, Crowbar.
https://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=soybean+row+width+for+drought&oq=soybean+row+width+for+drought&gs_l=serp.3...1826953.1832734.0.1833609.29.27.0.1.1.1.375.6940.0j2j14j9.25.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.BkYqlLgDY9I&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=85c5e40e949965e5&bpcl=40096503&biw=1152&bih=661

Plant spacing geometry is important but it seems we end up in the same yield category whether it's 30's or wider, 15's or wider, drilled, twin row, split row, precision plant.

For me, what I have done or can't do for my soil, my planting date and variety seems to have the largest effect on my yield, irregardless of drought or weather.

You bring up a good question that needs to be thought through.

I will say calcium is key to everything working right in my system and I can't grow good beans in any weather without it so everything is getting a little lime, a little gypsum and a little calcium nitrate here if I can get that all done.

My best beans has been in fields with over 2000 lbs calcium at 12 inches and a pH of 6.5 or a little higher.

Ed