[redline73]

I live in dryland country and have lost half of my wheat crop due to winterkill, we are considering two options for planting something in those fields.

We are looking at liberty link soybeans or grain sorghum. I personally hate sorghum and have zero experience with soybeans. The liberty link would be a good thing to throw out there to get away from glyphosates for a little bit.

My question is what row spacing and population is ideal for soybeans in my conditions with 14-20" annual moisture? I have a sunflower dribble drill set on 10" spacings and a 16 row White planter on 30" rows.

I would put them to peas but insurance wont allow it, well you can do it but Ill only get 30% coverage on my wheat if I put it to peas. If I put something like sorghum or soybeans out there I can collect 100% on the wheat and insure the beans/milo.

 

[BrianTee]

How much N did you put down for the wheat? Pulses never do well with higher N levels as the nodulation gets pretty lazy and when the plant needs N, it isn't there and doesn't make it.

 

[redline73]

7lbs in furrow with the wheat last fall.

 

[cptusa]

Stick them in with the white. 140,000-150,000. Hope for a late rain, that makes the bean crop.

 

[khigerd]

How much residue do you have left and what kind of moisture profile is left? Drilled beans will canopy quicker. Drilled or planted, I'd drop 100,000 to 120,000 on dryland or less. Beans will bush out if they get enough moisture.

 

[redline73]

I dont have much residue left but I do have some and the moisture profile is pretty good. Would one drill on 10's or 20's?

 

[khigerd]

I'd drill on 10's. That way they would canopy quicker to shade out the weeds and conserve moisture. Hopefully you would only have to spray them once. Drilled beans won't get as tall as planted beans because they are not competing with each other as much for sunlight. You don't necessarily need height to make beans, just nodes on the plant. Wait for the soil temp to get above 55 degrees before seeding.

Have you sprayed your wheat yet? Are you safe to rotate to beans?

 

[redline73]

I havent sprayed my wheat yet. I have almost 500 acres to spray but wont get around to that until my peas are in the ground. Soil temp up here is pretty warm, I have peas emerging within 10 days after planting. 200 acres out of the 500 I have drilled have emerged, I have 500 more acres to get drilled then I can get around to foliar feeding/top dressing what little wheat I have left. We have gotten almost 2" of rain in the last 3 days so it will be a little while til I can get back in the field.

 

[litefoot]

I agree with the lower population, and if you use the white planter, I would drop lower, maybe 95000 to 105000 because you have better control of pop, and depth, so more will actually grow when planted.

I would try some drilled and planted if you are new to beans, I have yet to see the narrow yield better than planted in my area (some yrs, they are a few better, some a few worse).

In my area, it seems to me that beans are a stupid plant, they will use as much moisture as is available as it is available. So as long as they aren't dead, if you get rain in august, sept, you will get yield. It seems to me that 30 inch rows make it harder for the beans to get to the moisture in between the rows, which saves a little for the long dry we get in july, first half of august. In my area, on a dry year, the drilled beans will die first! (maybe it has more to do with seed placement than row spacing, but I tend to lean toward 30inch, which could change as weed problems get worse).

With the price of milo, you might reconsider it as an option also! I believe china will continue buying non-gmo milo!

Also, I would double check your info on the crop ins. I don't think in kansas it is as you described. but I could be wrong! I would definitely give your ins guy the exact scenario you described above and make sure he says it works that way. In the past when I have collected 100% on the wheat, the next crop was on me, or I could decrease the wheat and have the option to collect on the 2nd crop. but the rules seem to change every year.

good luck

 

[khigerd]

Since you know peas, I'd say seed the beans the same way you seed peas. I've not grown peas, but from what I've seen around here, it looks like they are seeded in the same fashion. ie row spacing and population. You still have lots of time to plant beans.

 

[RCCFarmsMN]

I like litefoot's idea of trying some drilled and some planted. Then you could test which one yields better in your area and gain good information for the future. For the drill I would probably plant the beans in 20" spacing, to me the 10" seems to close and yield would suffer as the plants would compete all season or nutrients and moisture. I could be wrong though, I know around us majority of beans are planted at either 30" or 22" spacing.


May be a rumor but I have heard that optimal bean spacing is 15"??

 

[Diesel Dan]

Drill them narrow.

Every study I've seen favours narrow rows.

I use 15" myself. Everyone here uses 15" or 7.5" if they still grow wheat.

 

[redline73]

Thanks everyone for the input, Ill be planting almost 500 acres.

 

[cptusa]

I think row spacing varies with geography and weather for which will out yield the other. 30" rows here kicked the crap out of everything last year. Most years it is a wash which one is better. For every study that shows narrows are better, I bet I can dig up one that says otherwise. With out a doubt the 15's are better for shading over and easier for weed control, but are also more susceptible to white mold. I personally would plant them with your White. You will be happier with emergence and yield over your drill. Bean drills became a thing of the past here many years ago.

 

[dfb]

To decide between planter and drill depends how well your drill will cover seed. Always been downfall of drill not getting good stand. If planted in some moisture planted beans usually come without rain on them.

 

[SWFarmService]

Row width can be a tricky subject, here is why, if your area is typically dry and white mold is not an issue the narrow rows kick butt in a dry year, mainly due to a good canopy, I generally guage myself for a dry one

If you typically have lots of moisture 20" + seems to be the ticket for winning the battle again disease and mold pressure.


For the past 3 years we have been wet and I have been using priaxor on both my twin row and 12" and have still had a slight advantage with the air seeder but the priaxor has saved my butt on the 12", but overall I would not seed beans without it

Beans are such a funny crop as how they respond to diff areas and climate

Here I seem to be the only one that can make beans work, the ticket for me is the right maturity that I can extend out past the heat of July and early August and catch the rain to fill in early sept

 

[5thgenNoDakfarmer]

Narrow rows. 130k pop. Easy as that!

 

[khigerd]

Hows your soybeans looking?

 

[redline73]

They are looking great, ive got full canopy. Ill post some pictures later.

 

[redline73]

So it wasnt as much canopy as I thought. I have a 1/4 that's full canopy but this field is not. I just started seein flowers this evening.