Dry Soybean Seed

Soybean growers should be prepared for dry soybean seed this spring, due to the dry conditions in many areas during harvest last fall.

"The seed that came off is lower in moisture, so growers need to be careful when using their air seeder. The airflow needs to be adjusted properly to ensure their not damaging the seed any further," explains Dennis Lange, farm production advisor and pulse specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives.

He says growers may want to consider increasing seeding rates.

"There will be some baldhead issues, so you may need to adjust planting rates to account for that, just to give you a safeguard as far as plant populations go," says Lange.

It's expected soybean acreage in Manitoba will jump again this year, with many suggesting it will surpass the one million acre mark.

Source: Steinbachonline