Double-crop soybeans have their risks and their advantages. But with careful planning and consideration, they have a lot of yield potential for farmers looking to get the most out of each growing season. However, a healthy double-crop soybean yield requires going above and beyond to protect your plants.
Doug Shoup, associate professor of agronomy at Kansas State University (KSU), recognizes the differences between protecting double-crop and full-season soybeans. While many of the same farming principles apply to both full-season and double-crop soybeans, there are a few key differences between the two.
“There’s a whole different set of challenges with double-crop soybeans than with full-season,” Shoup said.
In his opinion, weed control is the most important aspect of protecting double-crop soybeans.
“I believe weed control is number one, especially as we see an increase in glyphosate-resistant weeds,” says Shoup. “Weed control in wheat stubble is difficult because of the tight turnaround in planting after wheat harvest. And often, the pigweeds get a head start under the wheat canopy.”
Shoup explained that some farmers have relied on other means to control pigweed species besides glyphosate, including paraquat, PPO herbicides, glufosinate and 2,4-D.
According to Shoup, good timing is another key to successfully protecting double-crop soybeans. Knowing when to harvest your first crop, generally wheat, so that you can get your soybeans in the ground as early as possible can make or break yield. The sooner you can get the soybeans in ground, the better your chance of producing high-yielding soybeans.
“There’s such a short season that you really need to plant as soon as you can,” Shoup said. “Doing everything in a timely fashion is really critical.”
Shoup also stressed the importance of planting seeds in narrow rows, slightly increasing your seeding rate and appropriately managing the nutrient content of your soil, all of which have been shown to have a positive effect on double-crop soybean yields.
“At KSU, we have seen a yield benefit to double-crop soybeans with direct fertilization of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium after high-yielding wheat,” says Shoup.
Finally, Shoup says controlling any volunteer wheat in double-crop soybeans should be top of mind when it comes to protecting double-crop soybeans late in the growing season.
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