Wheat around the state has been advancing nicely with this drier weather, potentially providing some excellent opportunities for growers.
“Be ready. Be primed that there could be an opportunity to push double-crop soybeans farther north,” says Purdue Extension Soybean and Small Grains Specialist Shaun Casteel on the latest Purdue Crop Chat podcast, found now at hoosieragtoday.com.
He says Southern Indiana and Central Indiana commonly see conditions conducive for double-cropping soybeans, but it’s usually what he calls a game of “Russian Roulette” in the northern third of the state.
“With the year that we’ve seen, the wheat that I drove past today, and people I’ve talked to, they’re going to be cutting within the coming days. There have been some recent rains. If you’ve got the soil moisture, and you’ve got the wheat that’s coming off in the coming days, go for it. I think you’ve got a great opportunity.”
In the southern half of the state, Casteel says you’d use a full-season bean, or close to it. Up north, you’ll need to change that maturity group.
“Time is not on your side. And we’re talking about the fall freeze. When can we get this crop as a double-crop soybean matured? So, typically October 10 or 12, something like that. So, if we do a 90 day back calculation, that puts us about July 10, July 12, thereabouts. I want the soybean double-crop up and out of the ground, not planted, up and out of the ground at that point to have the best opportunity for yield potential and to get the crop.”
Casteel’s research on double-cropping in that part of the state shows that you need to go a full unit less.
“So, I’m talking about a 2.0 bean that’s planted and we need to be talking about 200,000 seed rate so we can push that plant taller, have the pods up off the ground so the header can get it.”
Hear more advice and get more perspectives on the season from both Casteel and corn specialist Dan Quinn in the Purdue Crop Chat below.