Bean population question

notjustair · Oct 11, 2015

I downloaded a new app for estimating yields on beans. It seems high to me so I am locking down variables.

I have a 1760 no till planter. I have never notice skips or anything. I have it set for 140,000 or 150,000. I can't recall whether the gear setting was exactly 150,000 or I had to get close.

There are lots of variables, but on a good year (which this one was for germination) how close do you find that your population is to your planter setting?

JD Seller · Oct 11, 2015

It really depends on the weather and your seed. If you look even the best soybean seed is usually only 90-95% germination. So for your final of 150K per acre you would need to adjust your planted population up to reflect the different germination rates. Personally I am not a fan of lower populations just to "save" seed costs. I usually like 170-180K finals. I have found that they will grow better beans year in and out at that higher rate. The higher rate does not help much in a perfect growing year but it sure can help in years when the bean plants are stressed.

I played around 4-5 years ago and found out that the 150K final rate on lower quality ground, in stressful years, can easily be 10-15 BPA lower in yield than the higher plant populations. When we where planting public varieties we usually drilled the beans at 220K planting rates.

So on our ground here I will take more plants per acre on soybeans and corn as well. I like to have final stands on corn to be above 33K per acre too.

MN Scott · Oct 11, 2015

JD, do you drill your beans or plant in 30" rows?

Ty Kolbe · Oct 11, 2015

This year I drilled mine in 14 inch rows with 156,000 pop. and had 70bpa.

JD Seller · Oct 12, 2015

(quoted from post at 11:49:54 10/11/15) JD, do you drill your beans or plant in 30" rows?

The last few years they have been in 15 inch rows. Prior to that I just double planted them with my corn planter. I did not try to split the rows I deliberately planted at angles to make a checker board kind of row setup. I still checker plant some of my steeper ground. The crossed rows really help with erosion.

I quit drill my beans shortly after switching to RR beans. The seed cost was just to high to drill them heavy like we did with public varieties.

tomNE · Oct 12, 2015

(quoted from post at 02:50:53 10/13/15)

(quoted from post at 11:49:54 10/11/15) JD, do you drill your beans or plant in 30" rows?

Click to expand...

The last few years they have been in 15 inch rows. Prior to that I just double planted them with my corn planter. I did not try to split the rows I deliberately planted at angles to make a checker board kind of row setup. I still checker plant some of my steeper ground. The crossed rows really help with erosion.

I quit drill my beans shortly after switching to RR beans. The seed cost was just to high to drill them heavy like we did with public varieties.

I'm down to planting 125,000. The tests around here say if we get 90,000, final stand our beans yields don't suffer at all. i drill in 15in rows but planting the same pop in 30in rows works also.

Bean population question

notjustair

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JD Seller

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MN Scott

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Ty Kolbe

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JD Seller

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tomNE

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