By Ms. Bonnie A. Coblentz
Mississippi’s soybean crop is literally all over the place in terms of development, but nearly all of it looks good.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates Mississippi will have 2.05 million acres of soybeans. As of July 27, USDA estimated 59% of the crop was in good or excellent condition. Another 27% was rated fair, with just 4% in poor condition.
But those numbers do not describe what is actually happening in the field.
Justin Calhoun, soybean specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the only blanket statement that can be made about the state’s 2025 soybean crop is that it is in the field.
“I don’t mean that to be facetious; it’s just the only broad truth we can use,” Calhoun said. “In the past week, I have seen soybeans being planted, and I have seen the first soybeans of the year being harvested. Most of the crop across the state is in mid- to late-reproductive growth stages.”
Despite frequent, heavy rain, Calhoun said that most of the Delta counties got their soybeans planted before the end of May. The majority of the Hill region was planted in June, as those acres were finally dry enough to plant.
“Most of the acres that were waiting all spring for planting got covered before June,” he said. “July probably saw 5% or less of the total crop either replanted or planted for the first time in areas that were extremely wet early in the season.
“Rain really dragged out the planting season,” Calhoun said. “We were set back by a lot of early season rain and cloudy conditions.”
These excessively wet conditions set the stage for a short-statured crop with an underdeveloped root system.
“Now that we have dried out, that has caused some drought stress, nutrient deficiencies and subsequent disease issues,” he said.
Source : msstate.edu