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Lancaster, OH | What you want are maximum nodes since that is where your blooms and pods are set. If population is heavy, you'll have less nodes/plant. Lighter populations will do some compensating by having more nodes/plant.
With the photo-period determination with soybeans, there is point where no more nodes will be formed. Earlier planting allows more time for node development while later planting gives very little.
With that said, planting date and conditions will influence what the population will be. Reams of data have suggested that a final, even stand planted in the early part of the season will achieve maximum yield. At the same time, higher populations achieved a similar yield. If you are planting later or with shorter season soybeans in your area, higher pops than that would be beneficial.
Also, I have seen data from replicated third party sources that have shown that treatments and inoculants provided more nodes, blooms and pods/foot of row. This carried over to a 4 bushel yield advantage in 2010 over Ohio & Indiana where these counts were done.
Rather than thinking populations, start by thinking of maximizing nodes and adjust populations from there accounting for soil productivity (clays can be tougher than looms), planting date and soybean maturity. | |
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Soybean Population ?
