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Study: Fewer soybean leaves can increase yield potential

University of Illinois researchers say fewer leaves on soybean plants can increase yield potential.

Dr. Steven Long, a crop sciences professor at the University of Illinois says their recent study shows removing the leaves can increase potential yield as much as 8 percent.

“So we took blocks of soybeans in the field and within those blocks we removed about every third emerging leaf to decrease the leaf area, and of course decrease the amount of material the plant was investing to the leaves,” says Long.

Long tells Brownfield the research also shows the plants with fewer leaves use less water to grow.

“So we’re getting 8 percent more yield but slightly lower on water use because of the reduced leaf area. It’s not only increasing yield but sustainability with less irrigation use,” says Long.

Long says researchers will explore other ways to optimize the leaf canopy on soybean plants—such as the number of leaves and their growth angle through genetic modification — to determine any potential impact on yields.

Audio: Dr. Steven Long, Crop Sciences, University of Illinois