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Monitor soybeans for nutrient issues

An agronomist says farmers should be monitoring soybeans for symptoms of nitrogen deficiency.

Kevin Keller with Pioneer says examine nodules on the plant at the V2 to V3 stage. “We want to see probably somewhere around 7 to 15 good nodules, good, healthy nodules. So, they’ll be pink or reddish inside, meaning that they’re active and going.”

He tells Brownfield an in-season nitrogen application may help jump start the crop. “I would look at applying for up to 50 pounds of nitrogen and that could be in a dry form such as urea or AMS. The biggest thing is we don’t want to burn the beans and we want to target that application somewhere around that B2 to R1 stage.

Keller says if soybeans have a higher trend line yield, then it should get additional pounds of nitrogen. “Sixty-five-bushel beans will need about 280 pounds of nitrogen.  Ninety-bushel beans will need about 390 pounds of nitrogen.”

And, he says, weather is also a factor with soil types and moisture making it more difficult for the plant to absorb the nutrient.