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This project is a study to evaluate
maturity group and planting date
across a wide range of different
latitudes. The project is funded
by the Midsouth Soybean Board
and the United Soybean Board
in a joint project.
A goal of this research is to help
farmers determine at any given
day of the year for their particular
location, what the best maturity
group choice is for them to plant.
The experiment is located at eight
different locations, spread across
Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Tennessee and Missouri. In addition
to looking at yield levels for this
experiment, we’re very interested
in helping farmers predict crop
development.
Soybean is a unique crop in that
it has a very wide window in which
it can be planted. You can
begin planting soybeans soon
after the danger of frost has ended
and continue in all the way
to mid-June or early July.
At each location we have four
maturity groups: maturity groups 3,
4, 5 and 6, planted at four different
planting dates from early March
all the way into early June.
The information on crop
phenology and crop development
will also be important and it
will help farmers to understand
better when insecticides may
be needed, when fungicides
may be needed during the
course of the season. So we
would like for farmers to be able
to know when their soybean cultivar
flowers, when it begins to set pods,
when it will be mature. This information
is important because it allows the farmer
to schedule important farming activities
for their whole farm. When equipment
will be needed, when irrigation will be
needed, when irrigation can be
terminated and when harvest equipment
is needed.
For more information of Dr. Purcell’s
research, find us at uaex.edu or
contact your local county extension agent.