SOYBEAN: the main components of a large harvest (practical advice). Technologies for growing soybeans How to grow soybeans in the garden

Sow legumes when the soil is well warmed up, and do not forget about abundant watering during flowering. Soybean is an important crop because it can provide vegetable protein and oil. In addition, it has good profitability. Growing soybeans does not require special conditions. Therefore, summer residents often began to plant it in their garden plots.

Soybeans are heat-loving plants. For its good growth, it needs warm days and nights without frost. The plant grows most actively at daytime temperatures of +32 degrees and at night temperatures of +22 degrees. The daylight hours should be 12 hours. The culture is high-yielding.

The average height of the plant is 0.6-1 meter. It has trifoliate leaves, which fall off after the crop ripens. Soybean blooms with small flowers collected in inflorescences - brushes; insects are weakly attracted due to the lack of a strong smell. The length of the fruits does not exceed 6 cm, they contain a maximum of 4 beans, usually 2-3. The seeds are greenish or yellow in color.

This plant is relatively “new” in the gardens of our citizens. Not everyone has experience growing this crop in their gardens. Experts offer several tips to help you get a high-quality and abundant harvest.

1. Soybeans can be grown in areas where cereals and corn previously grew, and can be sown after potatoes and beets. But after cabbage or other legumes, it is better not to sow soybeans. And after sunflower, too, because these plants can cause active spread of bacteriosis in the soil.
2. Having grown soybeans, the next year in the same place you can get a good harvest of wheat, rapeseed, and vegetable crops.
3. It is impossible to sow soybeans in the same field for two years in a row, as it significantly impoverishes the soil.
4. The soil should be prepared in advance. In the selected area in the fall, it is necessary to apply fertilizer to a depth of approximately 20-30 cm. In the spring, the field is harrowed. It should be smooth, without furrows or bumps with a height difference of more than 4 cm. After all, soybeans have beans that are quite low and will be difficult to collect.
5. It is necessary to prepare not only the soil for sowing, but also the seeds. The peculiarity of the preparation is that the planting material should be pickled under normal home conditions and then treated with rhizotorphin so that nodule microorganisms actively develop. The solution consumption is from 70 to 80 liters for every ton of seeds. Sometimes, instead of treating seeds with rhizotorphin, ammonium nitrate is used to apply to the soil. This method is more expensive, but significantly increases productivity.
6. You cannot sow soybean seeds using air seeders.
7. It is important to water and fertilize plants in a timely manner, especially with compounds of molybdenum, sulfur, and cobalt.
8. To ensure that the yield does not decrease, you should periodically change the varieties grown on the site and update the seed, as well as apply crop rotation.

Planting soybeans in open ground

The legume crop is sown when the soil warms up well - up to 10 degrees to a depth of 5 cm and the threat of night frosts disappears. This is the seed planting depth. It is better to wait until the soil warms up to 12-14 degrees. Therefore, soybeans are often sown in late April or early May. At the same time, there must be a sufficient amount of moisture in the ground.

Under favorable conditions, seedlings will appear within a week. If you sow a legume crop earlier, it will sprout late, be susceptible to various diseases, and the stem will elongate excessively.

All dicotyledonous crops are very demanding on sowing depth. The beans should not be buried more than 3-5 cm. If the sowing is done deeper, the plant will not sprout at all. The distance between the rows is left at 40-60 cm. About 40 seeds are sown per meter.

The moisture content in the soil is of decisive importance; it must be retained using various agricultural techniques. For example, loosen the soil only slightly so that it does not dry out. It is beneficial when a layer of plant residues is preserved on the soil.

Soil acidity is important for soybeans; it prefers neutral or slightly acidic soils. The best option is 6.2…8. At lower pH values, the plant is not cultivated.

Features of soybean care

The culture is demanding on ambient temperature and lighting. If there is not enough sunlight for the plant, then it greatly lengthens the stems, the leaf cuttings also become long, as a result, the ovary is poorly formed and falls off prematurely.

Most of all, this legume plant requires heat during the period when it actively blooms and produces fruits. At temperatures below 14 degrees, soybeans stop growing.

It is important to weed the plants in a timely manner, remove weeds, and loosen the soil between the rows. Harrowing is done several times. The first time 4 days after sowing, then when the plant reaches a height of 15 cm, the third time - when the third leaves are formed. You need to cultivate the space between the rows to remove weeds as they appear. During the growing season there can be from 2 to 5. Without additional watering and fertilization, soybean will not produce a high yield.

Soybean fertilizer

For this leguminous crop, a sufficient content of microelements in the soil is very important. This primarily concerns molybdenum and boron. This is due to the fact that the development of nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live on the roots of the crop directly depends on these elements. Nodule microorganisms fix nitrogen from the air, enriching the soil with it. Foliar feeding with these substances has a positive effect on crop growth, especially in the initial stages.

Leaf treatment ensures the synthesis of chlorophyll. If this is not done, the soybeans will have an uncharacteristic color: light green and even yellow.

For fertilizing, nitrogen fertilizers are used at the rate of 10-20 kg per hectare of soil, as well as phosphorus (15-30 kg) and potash (25-60 kg). During the period of active growth, urea is added (to fertilize the leaves you will need 50 grams of the composition per bucket of water), nitrophoska, and UAN. Before sowing, ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate is added to the soil where soybeans will grow.

How to tie?

Large bushes are tied to stakes about a meter high. For this purpose, any branches can be used, with the exception of willow. She gets used to it quickly. Metal rods are also often used. It is recommended to use polyethylene cords or strips of soft fabric for garters.

Rules for watering soybeans

Another factor that is important for a leguminous plant is the amount of water and air humidity. Before flowers appear, soybeans can still tolerate dry periods, but this reduces yield, because the lower beans will not develop well.

When the beds are abundantly covered with flowers and grains begin to set, the plant needs a sufficient amount of moisture, otherwise the harvest will have to be forgotten. Also during this growing season, moist air is desirable for soybeans. Therefore, watering should be frequent and abundant. In dry conditions, the crop simply sheds its flowers, the first formed ovary and does not form a new one.

It is better to water the legume crop with warm water, and then, to prevent moisture from evaporating, mulch the soil with peat or straw.

How to process soybeans?

To protect soybean crops from an abundance of weeds, it is necessary to carry out timely treatment with herbicides. Most often they use Harnes, which is applied at the rate of 2 liters per hectare of land. Sprouts tolerate herbicides well in the growth phase from the first trefoil to the beginning of the formation of the third trefoil. The deadline for weed control is the appearance of the fifth level of leaves, before the formation of buds. Later, treating crops with herbicides is very harmful to it.

The plant’s immunity is quite weak, so monitoring the presence of the first signs of the disease is very important for it. Among the pests, aphids and spider mites love to inhabit this crop. Traditional methods include treatment with decoctions of wormwood and hot pepper. If the growing season occurs with excessive humidity and at the same time low temperatures, the plant may suffer from powdery mildew.

Then they spray with copper-based preparations, for example, copper sulfate. All damaged parts of the plant must be removed and burned. For prevention, it is better to treat with Imazamox, Imazethapyr or Bentazone when the first 5-7 leaves appear on the seedlings.

How to harvest soybeans?

Early varieties of legumes ripen already on the 85th day, while late varieties require 245 days. Also, the harvesting period depends on the climatic conditions of cultivation and the region. Therefore, soybeans are harvested from the end of July to the end of September.

The main factor signaling that it is time to harvest is the plant shedding its leaves. By this time the beans will turn gray. They need to be collected quite quickly, within 3-4 days, otherwise they will begin to open on their own and the harvest will be lost. In the fields, soybeans are harvested using combines; in small beds, they are mowed and threshed. After the beans are harvested, the stems of the plants are removed from the field and the leaves are simply dug up.

- are often found in gardens, but the demand for growing soybeans among summer residents has not yet arisen. To most of them, this crop seems like a mysterious stranger, whose reputation is significantly tarnished by the established association with GMO foods. And yet its popularity is growing, and the breeding territory is only expanding from year to year, covering almost the entire world.

The chemical composition of soybean fruits is very rich; they contain many healthy vegetable fats and proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Therefore, they are actively used in food production. Soy milk, flour, meat, butter, sauce, tofu have become an important part of the modern person's diet. The high nutritional value of the plant's fruits allows them to be fed to farm animals.

Site requirements

Soybean is a light-loving crop, so it is recommended to plant it in sunny places. In terms of soil fertility, it is not capricious and can grow even on sandy soil with a meager supply of nutrients. But in this case you should not expect a rich harvest from it. Well-fertilized, light soils with a porous structure and a high content of sand or clay are ideal for soybeans. Water and air will easily pass through such soil to its roots. The culture develops best on black soil.

The main condition for successfully growing soybeans is providing it with a suitable level of soil acidity. Ideal for it is soil with a neutral reaction, or, in extreme cases, slightly alkaline. It is not worth growing the crop on acidic, salty and wetlands. In such soil, due to difficulties in assimilation of microelements and minerals, plant nutrition will be inadequate, and the development of their root system will slow down. As a result, the crops will turn out to be frail and painful. Soybeans are very sensitive to excess soil moisture: flooding that lasts several days can completely destroy the plantings. Therefore, only those places where the groundwater lies deep are suitable for it.

The plant will bring a high yield in areas where the following crops were previously planted:

• winter crops;
• spring;
• cereals;
• melons;
• corn;
• potatoes;
• sugar beets.

It is allowed to sow soybeans in one place for 2-3 years in a row. Then the site must be changed to prevent degeneration of the crop. The soil after growing sunflowers, cabbage, tomatoes, and other representatives of the legume family is not suitable for it. In such soil there is a high probability of young soybean shoots being affected by sclerotinia.

Soil preparation

Growing soybeans is a painstaking task. In order not to be disappointed in the crop and to reap the desired harvest, it is important to properly prepare the soil for planting it. You will have to spend time and effort twice, since one spring soil treatment will not be enough. Autumn site preparation is more intensive and involves the sequential implementation of 3 activities.

1. Soil peeling. It affects the surface 8-10 cm layer of soil.
2. Plowing. Its depth depends on what crop was grown in this place before soybeans. After corn, when plowing, they go deeper by 30 cm. If grains were previously grown on the site, 22-25 cm is enough.
3. Fertilizer.

Peeling and plowing the soil helps make it looser and more porous. Through such soil, the plant's roots will be able to breathe freely. Also, both procedures help clear the ground of weeds. Experienced gardeners recommend using humus as a source of nutrients.

1-2 years before the planned planting of soybeans, the soil needs to be limed.

With the arrival of spring, it is time for the second pre-sowing treatment of the site. It is well harrowed. There is no need to go very deep into the soil; it is enough to loosen its surface layer 4-6 cm thick. Depending on the characteristics of the soil, heavy, medium or lightweight harrows are used for the procedure.

This minimal treatment will allow you to get rid of already sprouted weeds, retain the moisture necessary for the germination of soybean seeds in the ground, and level the surface of the area to facilitate their planting. In addition, through thoroughly loosened soil, soybean seedlings will hatch faster and be more friendly. Before harrowing, you can scatter urea over the surface of the area at the rate of 20 g per 1 m². Having completed the procedure, they proceed to sowing.

Landing rules

The technology for growing soybeans is not complicated. They plant it with beans. For sowing, it is better to choose unmodified planting material obtained in domestic conditions. It is more adapted to the country's climate. It is recommended to purchase crop seeds in stores that specialize in gardening and vegetable gardening products.

Soybeans are usually planted in open ground at the end of April or in the first half of May, when the soil temperature reaches 10-15˚C. Beans will require a lot of moisture to germinate, so it is important not to be late with the procedure so that the soil does not have time to dry out. Otherwise, you may not wait for seedlings. The seeds are laid out in previously prepared grooves watered with warm water. Their depth should be from 4 to 6 cm. On an industrial scale, seeders are used for planting soybeans.

The distance between plants in a row is 3-4 cm. For full development, soybeans will need a lot of space, but you need to take into account that not all seeds can sprout. After the shoots hatch and get a little stronger, the plantings can be thinned out, leaving 5-10 cm between the young shoots. When determining the distance between adjacent furrows, you need to take into account the characteristics of the variety chosen for planting. For early-ripening varieties of the crop, an interval of 20-40 cm will be optimal. Row spacing for mid-ripening plant varieties should be 30-60 cm. Planting should be completed by light rolling.

Soybean seeds are prepared for sowing. First, they need to be treated with biological preparations containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria (inaculants). This will allow the plants to absorb and accumulate more nitrogen on the roots, and will also fully provide them with this element for the entire growing season. There will be no difficulties in purchasing the inaculant. It is sold in specialized stores in different forms: liquid, gel, granules. 12 hours before sowing, soybean seeds are treated with Rizotorfin. It is recommended to do this indoors or in the shade. Beans sprayed with a solution of the drug should not be exposed to direct sunlight.

Weed control

Young soybean shoots develop slowly in the first 3-6 weeks after germination. Their main enemies at this time are cereal weeds. They overwhelm plantings, sucking nutrients and moisture from the soil and blocking light from seedlings. Therefore, when growing crops, a lot of effort will have to be spent on constant control of weeds. It is carried out using chemical methods and manually. The first treatment with herbicides (Roundup) on the fields is done 3 days after planting the beans. A month later it is repeated.

To enhance the effect of the procedure, you need to thoroughly moisten the soil before performing it.

The use of chemicals is combined with mechanical treatment of beds - harrowing. The time for the first comes 3-4 days after planting the beans in the ground. There is no need to fear for the safety of soybean seedlings; intensive loosening of the soil and removal of weeds will only have a positive effect on them. There is only one nuance worth considering: you cannot harrow the area immediately after sowing.

When the soybean sprouts emerge from the soil and become a little stronger, the procedure is repeated twice more. The timing for it is determined by the appearance of the shoots. If they have stretched 15 cm in height and produced 2 full leaves, it’s time to carry out the first harrowing. The second is done at the stage of formation of the third sheet. If soybeans are sown in a small area, instead of harrowing, you can get by with regular loosening.

Additional chemical treatment is carried out when 5-7 leaves bloom on the shoots. The rows between plants are cultivated, passing each row 2 times. During the entire growing season, 2-5 procedures are performed. Their timing is individual and depends on the speed and intensity of weed germination on the site.

Features of agricultural technology

With regard to the principles of care, soybean differs little from other garden plants. When seedlings appear, it is recommended to mulch the beds with organic fertilizers. Peat or well-rotted humus is suitable for this. It is permissible not to use mulch, but in this case you will have to regularly loosen the plantings with a hoe.

Soybean does not need frequent watering; the crop easily tolerates drought. But during the period when plants are gaining buds, blooming and forming ovaries, they will need a lot of moisture. Its deficiency will greatly affect productivity. Therefore, almost all summer (from the second half of June to mid-August), the plantings are periodically watered abundantly. A total of 4-5 procedures are carried out, using 5-6 liters of water per 1 m² of surface. During the flowering period, the plantings should be fertilized with mullein infusion (in a ratio of 1:10).

Soybean seedlings are not afraid of short-term temperature drops to -2-3˚C. But when they grow a little, sudden cold snaps will have a detrimental effect on the shoots. Exposure to even minor frosts (around -0.5˚C) will damage soybean flowers. Its ovaries may fall off or be empty. Hot days, when the air heats up above 30˚C, and cool days, when its temperature is around 10-14˚C, also have a bad effect on the harvest. In the fall, when soybeans are in the ripening stage, they are again not afraid of slight frosts. Growing crops at dachas in central regions will require close monitoring of the weather forecast. When there is a threat of sudden temperature fluctuations, plantings need protection. During this period, they need to be covered with film or special material.

Soybean harvesting begins at the end of September. By this time, its shoots should shed yellowed dry leaves, and their seeds begin to easily separate from the walls of the fruit. There is no need to pull plants out of the ground. It would be more correct to cut off their upper part at the level of the soil surface, leaving the roots in the ground. They form nodules containing microorganisms that absorb nitrogen from the atmosphere and saturate the soil with it. Cut soybean stalks are tied into bunches and hung to dry in the attic, barn or balcony. After a month they can be threshed. The beans are poured into canvas bags. They store well in any dry place.


Soybean, which humanity has bred for thousands of years, is a unique crop. Many people have an ambiguous attitude towards it, but all genetic experiments with the plant do not negate its natural advantages. Soybeans are very nutritious and rich in healthy protein. They can easily replace many products necessary for the full functioning of the human body.

Although growing soybeans has its own characteristics, this process cannot be called particularly difficult. You just need to follow the experimentally proven technology for its cultivation, and it will definitely bring a harvest. Planting crops on the site will help make the soil more fertile. Soybean will be an ideal predecessor for most garden plants. Try sowing it at your dacha and see for yourself!

Purely scientific recommendations are not uncommon in the magazine “Grain”. But since our publication is addressed primarily to practitioners, we give preference to practical advice. Today’s material is a kind of generalization of the experience of one successful agricultural company that operates on large areas and constantly achieves high yields.

Without naming the name and address of the agricultural company, we will simply tell you how, with what and when it does this. Believe me, it will be difficult for you to find more detailed advice. In addition, they differ in many ways from academic recommendations. The focus is on two crops - soybeans and corn. Today we will talk about soy.

Biology

Soybean is a heat-loving legume plant with a pronounced short day (the beginning of the growing season at a temperature not lower than +10 ° C). Loves warm days and warm nights; the ideal temperature range for the growing season is from a maximum (daytime) of +32 °C to a minimum (at night) of +22 °C. The length of daylight is very important for productivity; the ideal ratio is: 12 hours day - 12 hours night. The company’s specialists draw a diagram of the vegetative development of soybeans (see Fig. 1) somewhat differently than they offer in textbooks: without all sorts of botanical and biological details of the description of megasporogenesis and gametogenesis, paying attention not to the formation of growth cones, sepals, petals, etc., and on the phases that are important for increasing yield, as well as how they can be influenced during the growing season.

An important growing season is from the phase of the first trefoil to the beginning of the third trefoil. At this time, soybean is most resistant to herbicides against dicotyledonous weeds, so all herbicide treatments should be attempted during this period. In practice, this is not always possible. The latest period when soybeans can be treated with herbicides against dicotyledons is the appearance of the fifth trefoil, that is, the beginning of budding. “Application of herbicides against dicotyledons at a later date is always a choice between “bad” and “very bad,” the company is confident.

The growing season ends when the moisture content of the beans reaches 12%. After this, soybeans are able to quickly gain and release moisture, within several hours. For example, in the morning, during dew, it can gain an additional 5-7% humidity, but in the presence of wind and sun, they will disappear in 3 hours.

Sowing

First of all, you should correctly determine the time of sowing. Since soybean is a heat-loving plant, the soil temperature at the seeding depth (4 cm) is very important for it. In the USA, for example, it is sown when the temperature at this level reaches 12 °C (or even better, 14 °C); in Argentina - 18 °C; at lower temperatures, soybeans are not sown there. Our company is also in no hurry to sow soybeans; they expect at least 12 °C. In addition, there must be moisture at the embedment depth. In this option, seedlings appear within 7 days.

It is also very important that the soybean at the germination stage does not fall under spring frosts, they are destructive for it. The favorable sowing time can be determined quite simply: you need to subtract 7 days from the probable frost in your zone, this will be the sowing date. Previously, sowing it was very risky. It is also important to remember the previous condition regarding soil temperature: if the time has come, but the soil is still cold, you should not sow. The grain does not germinate for a long time, and the threat of damage to it by pathogens and pests greatly increases. There is also an indirect way to confirm the correctness of the choice of sowing time: when you look at what happens after sowing. In soybeans, seedlings ideally appear after 5 days, the acceptable norm is 7 days; their delay of up to 9 days or more indicates that the crop was sown early.

Early sowing has one possible advantage - sufficient moisture in the soil. And there are many more dangers: damage by rhizoctonia, soil pests, stretching of internodes, lodging. This soybean often looks like a long stalk with one or two beans.

Depth

As a dicotyledonous plant that must bring two cotyledons to the soil surface, soybean is very sensitive to the depth of seed placement. It is important not to sow deeper than necessary. The company believes that the optimal depth for planting seeds is 3-5 cm, the maximum is 6 cm. Planting to a greater depth is an extreme task, you can either not get seedlings at all, or get them sparse, affected by rhizoctonia and pathogens of other diseases. During this period, the main task for the agronomist is to maintain moisture at a depth of 3-4 cm. Among the many ways to achieve this, the company gives preference to minimal loosening of the soil. It is a big plus when the soil is covered with plant residues.

What to sow with?

The choice of seeder is an important issue. Soybean seeds, whose cotyledons are enclosed in a rather fragile shell, should be handled more carefully than many other seeds. The company that shared its experience with us categorically does not recommend using pneumatic seeders on soybeans. When transporting grain by air over long distances (3-5 m), it is often injured, its shell is damaged or completely destroyed. Especially if the seeder is, for example, 18 meters long. Only because of this, you risk either not getting seedlings at all, or getting them sparse, since various pathogens easily penetrate into the cracks formed in the cold soil.

“If you have a conventional seed drill,” the company says, “and the soil is sufficiently prepared for it, it is better to sow with just such an old seeder than with a central bunker and pneumatic feed.” The preferences of local specialists are on the side of John Deere, Kinza, White, Massey Fergusson, Case seeders, that is, all precision seeders.

Sometimes agronomists ask a question about coulters. For sowing any crop, a disc coulter with support rollers is preferable, which does not allow the seeds to be planted deeper than necessary. The disadvantage of all wide-cut seeders with pneumatic feed is the rigid attachment of the coulters to the frame, while in mechanical ones each coulter has an independent fastening, which allows it to better follow the soil. Soybean seeds also do not like auger feeding; the augers injure it. It’s better to spend a little money on loaders than to risk accelerated loading with augers.

What are Crop Heat Units and how to count them

As is known, the productivity of late spring crops, which include soybeans and corn, strongly depends on the plants receiving sufficient heat during the growing season. In Ukraine, this indicator is known as the sum of effective temperatures, and in Canada this indicator is CHU - Crop Heat Units (see “Grain”, No. 4, 2010, “Counting heat: an indispensable system”).

Since the company works with soybeans exclusively of Canadian origin, the calculations are based on the characteristics of this particular variety. Each variety has a strictly defined CHU value, which it must receive from germination to full ripening. If you have not found out this indicator from the seller, look for the data on the website of the company that originated the variety. All soybean varieties suitable for cultivation in our zone have CHU values ​​in the range of 2350-3300. Calculation of CHU accumulation by plants from a foreign seed company is shown in Table 1.

To work with this table, you will need ten-day temperature data from a regional weather station or your personal records of temperatures throughout the year, taken from a regular (not electronic) thermometer that hangs outside the window of your office (office). For example, on some day the minimum temperature was 9 degrees, the maximum was 26. We look at the seed company’s sign: at the intersection of the parameters of these temperatures, we find the number of CHU for that day. It is advisable to take into account data from a standard year, for example 2008, and not 2009 or, especially, 2010, when the summer was hotter. Let's say, in the first ten days of May, the minimum temperature is 3 degrees, the maximum is 26. To average the indicators in a company, add 2 degrees to the minimum temperature, and also subtract 2 degrees from the maximum and look at the plate to see the suppression of these data (5 and 24): accumulated 16 CHU, multiply this figure by 10 days, 160 CHU were accumulated over a decade. Then CHU is determined for the second decade, etc. In this way, it is possible to determine the dynamics of CHU growth throughout the growing season. Knowing this figure and having an increase in temperatures in your zone, you will know exactly when to sow and harvest this or that variety.

Density plants at the time of harvesting

Approximate plant density at the time of harvesting for varieties with a range. Knowing the plant density for a certain variety, we calculate its seeding rate. To do this, the density should be divided by 0.82 (field germination of soybeans), as a result we obtain the seeding rate in numerical quantities. By multiplying this value by the mass of a thousand seeds, you can find out the norm in weight terms.

There is no point in making the density greater than the maximum (700 thousand). This does not help to increase productivity, but only leads to waste of seeds (and money) and, moreover, creates the danger of plant lodging. It should be remembered: the later the soybeans are, the more they branch. The head of the company claims that he personally isolated plants of the late-ripening Madison variety (2700 CHU), which contained 316 beans. On one plant! But this did not depend in any way on the seeding rate.

Productivity, as is known, depends not only on the number of plants per hectare, but also on the number of beans and grains in each of them, as well as their weight.

The number of beans depends most on the length of daylight hours and moisture during the period of their formation. When there is not enough of it, many beans are aborted and discarded. Therefore, it is important to correctly determine the middle of the growing season and shift it using sowing time to the most optimal period. In soybeans, beans begin to form at 50% of the growing season and end at 70% of the growing season. This period should occur on a fairly short day and with sufficiently abundant moisture.

The weight of a thousand grains depends on the amount of moisture, the amount of available nutrients, and the presence or absence of diseases (leaf surface area). Plant nutrition can be controlled, diseases and pests too. We use the moisture that God sent. Unless we can regulate it indirectly by controlling weeds.

About row spacing when sowing. For each variety from the USA or Canada, the recommended row spacing is indicated. The company’s specialists compiled this information into a table (see Table 3).

The company says that almost all of these varieties can be sown with narrower row spacing, it all depends on the seeder. Starting this year, soybeans will be sown here exclusively with precision seeders (35-50 cm). How do they sow here at 50 cm? Sowing units are added to a conventional corn seeder, moving them together on the frame to create the required row spacing.

Protection

The company pays great attention to protecting soybeans from diseases and pests. And they start with seed treatment. In general, soil pests are not very fond of soybeans. If they have an alternative to eat something else, they will not touch it. But even minor damage to the seed coat as a result of wireworm tastings becomes attractive to Rhizoctonia and other disasters. Soybean is quite sensitive to fungicides; some disinfectants strongly inhibit it. Let's say that last season the company had serious problems after treating seeds with the combined disinfectant Dividend Star. After this, an experiment was launched in which the effect of 16 disinfectants and their combinations was observed. Maximum XL (1 liter per 1 ton of seeds) demonstrated maximum protection and the least inhibition of germination energy. The combination Vincit + Metalaxyl gave good results. And the well-known Vitavax suppressed soybean quite strongly. If there are large populations of soil pests in the soil, imidacloprid 70% (Comanche) is used here at a dose of 1.5 kg/t. At the same time, experts are quite skeptical about recommendations to use large doses of this drug: “Do not believe reference books that indicate completely crazy doses - 28 or 48 kg.” Also here they speak very positively about Poncho (if it is not expensive for you). Further protection depends on how your variety treats metribuzin. Some are resistant to it, others are not. This characteristic is very important to know. If you were a little in a hurry with sowing soybeans or the weather changed not for the better and it is unknown how much (the sky became overcast, it got colder, or even snow fell), the soybeans will not develop, and the white pigweed grows and reaches the stage of the first true leaf, covered with a waxy coating. This weed is quite difficult to control. And when it has two pairs of such leaves, it is almost impossible to fight it without causing harm to soybean crops. To avoid such a danger, the company recommends using soil herbicides after sowing. And the best option here is to add 400-600 g of 70% metribuzin (Zenkor, Metrix, etc.), according to company specialists, the best drug against white goosefoot. It works for 45 days, no aftereffect is observed. But at the same time, soybean seeds must be planted to a depth of at least 3 cm (optimally 4 cm). The company grows Colby, Tundra, Madisson, Interprice - varieties that are completely tolerant to the drug, and Connor, which is suppressed by a standard dose of metribuzin, but is resistant to smaller amounts.

The application rate of the drug is determined depending on the organic matter in the soil (see Table 4).

For varieties that are not resistant to metribuzin, half or less dose can be used - up to 120 g/ha. This will not radically solve the problem with pigweed, but it will seriously press down on it, and the soybean will slip through.

In addition, if from the application of the drug to the sowing of the next crop is at least 4 months, that is, you will not grow sugar beets or potatoes, add 0.5 liters of imazetopyr 10% (Piquet, Pivot, etc.). It's cheap and works effectively. When such a long “window” is not expected in crop rotation, then 400 g of metribuzin plus 2 kg of prometrin. There are cases when a company plans to do without anti-grain herbicides in the future, in which case pendimethalin (Stomp, Terramin) is added. But in no case should acetochlor or metalochlor be used, they reduce the resistance of soybeans to frost. Of course, you may be lucky and the weather will remain warm, then the danger will pass. But if the slightest drop to 0 °C occurs, soybean crops treated with acetachlor will most likely die. The company does not apply all the mentioned preparations (except for Stomp) into the soil, since experts are sure: if there is a strong wind, then apply it, don’t apply it - everything will fly away with dust. Preparations are applied here almost automatically, following sowing.

For those who risk working with varieties that are not resistant to metribuzin and then plan to sow a crop that is not tolerant to the imidazoline group (Piket, Pivot), the optimal combination of protection consists of 2 kg of 50% prometrin (Gezagard, Strateg) plus 3 l pendimethalin.
Against sow thistles in the 1-2 trefoil phase, bentazone 48% (Bazogran, Pentagram) is used at a dose of 2.2 l/ha. If there are few weeds and they are in the rosette phase, this dose is enough; if there are a lot of thistles, the dose increases to 2.5 liters. Also add 5-6 g/ha thifensulfuron-methyl 75% (Harmonic or Harmani) with adhesive (100 g per 1 ha). During such clearing of dicotyledonous weeds, bindweed does not feel particularly happy either. For many years, the company has not used more than 100 liters of water in any treatment, except for the application of contact fungicides on vegetables. And when working with insecticides, even less - 25-50 liters. And since there is no physical opportunity to walk across all the fields diagonally, after 7-10 days (after the start of budding) they are insured with a “control shot” - graminicide (Gamma) at a rate of 1.5-2.2 l/ha. Mixing these herbicides (against dicotyledons and cereals) is strictly prohibited. If this rule is violated, the soybean, although it survives, is in a state of uncertainty between life and death for a long time; it can only be saved by rain. Therefore, it is better not to take risks. And since it is at this time that soybeans will definitely have burdock, the company adds 0.5-0.7 liters of organophosphorus. Otherwise, it will completely destroy the leaf apparatus. It’s a good idea to do prophylaxis against various rodents using Pyrethroid. All treatments should be completed before the third trefoil, maximum until the fifth.

Several fungicidal treatments are carried out on seed crops, especially if the variety is not resistant to late blight (the first - when the rows are closed, and then three more - successively after 2 weeks).

Soybean nutrition

The second important task, along with protecting soybeans, is organizing its proper nutrition. A harvest of 4 t/ha (this is what the company is targeting) produces 1800 kg of protein per hectare, which contains 17% nitrogen, or 306 kg. An absolutely crazy figure - no one has ever given 306 kg of a.m. for soybeans. nitrogen! Only nodule bacteria can do this for the farmer.

The first and main factor: there must be enough nodule bacteria in your field. This is achieved through seed inoculation. A field that already grew soybeans last year can be sown with uninoculated seeds. The company has tried almost all domestic inoculants, except those from Evpatoria. But after meeting foreign ones, they don’t return to domestic ones. Moreover, the inoculants must be peat-based! Nowadays they use AVM-innoculants here; previously they used Hystick. Both work great, clusters of nodules are visible on any plant pulled out of the ground. The innoculant (120 g per 100 kg) is poured directly into the seeder, but it is important to avoid direct sunlight. If you are using a liquid innoculant, first check its compatibility with the disinfectants.

The second factor is soil pH. Ideal conditions are when the soil acidity is between 6.2 and 8. If the pH level is below 5.6, soybeans should not be sown. In addition, the company’s specialists do not agree with the widespread statement that horsetail allegedly indicates high soil acidity; here it was found on soils with a pH of 7.8. Therefore, horsetail is most likely a weed of fertile, waterlogged or sufficiently moist soils. To determine the pH level of your lands, you need to do at least one soil analysis, if possible with the help of a serious laboratory that you can trust, and not the local branches of “Rodyuchost”.

Factor three. Not approaching the application of fertilizers thoughtlessly, that is, throwing in a type of ammophoska just in case (“abi bulo”), is at least wasteful. It is much smarter and cheaper to do an analysis and enter what is needed. Since molybdenum and cobalt are very important for the life of nodule bacteria, each ton of seeds is treated with 100-150 g of ammonium molybdate (ammonium molybdate) and 10 g of cobalt nitrate (cobalt nitrate). Since soybean harvests 27 kg of sulfur, it must consume the same amount of this macroelement during the growing season. Sulfur is no less important for soybeans than phosphorus. Therefore, when sulfur levels are low (the company has 70% of such areas - 56 thousand hectares), ammonium sulfate or elemental sulfur should be added. Phosphorus nutrition, like potassium nutrition, is also very important. Potassium is not directly involved in the formation of the crop, but it increases the heat and drought resistance of soybeans, is responsible for the speed of chemical processes occurring in the plant - the formation of protein, fat, sugars; the resistance of soybeans to lodging depends on its presence. But, again, both potassium and phosphorus are added as needed. Zinc is also quite important.

The company approaches the organization of building a nutrition system for soybeans (as well as other crops) very simply: it orders the necessary soil tests from the Agrotest laboratory, looks at what is missing, receives recommendations and introduces the necessary preparations. For those who do not have the money to study soils, they recommend the simplest way - to inoculate, treat with molybdenum and cobalt and leave it at that with nutrition. They don’t even mention the introduction of nitrogen here; if you overdo it, bacteria will not develop. It is not introduced either in America, or in Canada, or in Argentina. Nitrogen is required in one case - if there is a noticeable dip in color and there is no synthesis. Then the soybeans need to be saved, but this is an expensive way. After harvesting a crop of 4 t/ha for the next crop, a nitrogen credit of approximately 80 kg a.i./ha remains on the field (for a harvest of 3 t/ha - 60 kg, for 2 t/ha - 40 kg, for 1 t/ha - 20 kg).

About crop rotation

Foreign experience (Nebraska, USA) indicates the following dependence of soybean yield in monoculture: first year - 4.2 c; second year - 4.7 c; the third year - 5.7 quintals, the fourth - 3.5 quintals, and then a sharp drop in yield due to the accumulation of diseases and pests, a minimum two-year break is required. Our company also came to an identical optimal option for crop rotation involving two crops: soybean - soybean - soybean - corn - corn. In principle, after the third year of soybeans, another crop, such as wheat, is possible. The link turns out to be successful, the yield of all crops consistently increases.

Tillage

To plow or not to plow, how and with what to cover moisture, to cultivate or not, whether it is possible to hammer - the company has one answer to all these questions: all this relates to the philosophy of soil cultivation adopted in each company. Such methods of soil cultivation have long been forgotten here; neither plows nor rollers can be found at the company’s sites. Here preference is given to minimal processing. The manager, smiling, replies that he simply does not like extra work and wasteful spending. For soybeans, the most flat field surface is important; seeds should be placed at the same depth from the surface. Therefore, if you didn’t haphazardly gouge the soil during cultivation, you worked correctly in the field - no cultivation is needed. And soybean here works very well with direct sowing; we have been to these dense, waist-high oases of Madisson or Tundra more than once. In 2007, more than one thousand hectares were harvested here at 38.8 c/ha, and in 2010 - even at 32 c/ha. Certain varieties (Colby, for example) in some fields yielded 46.2 c/ha; Madisson - 44.5 c/ha.

Of course, in their crop rotation between two corns, this is a scary option; here you really have to dig the ground. And soybeans after soybeans, as you know, are easier to sow, without any tillage.

Notches on the nose

1. A correctly determined time for sowing a variety is half the battle. Early crops are threatened by diseases, pests, and frosts.

2. Avoid sowing with pneumatic seeders!

3. Be able to use CHU (Crop Heat Units) data for your varieties and, using calculations and sowing dates, place the phase of bean formation in the most optimal period.

4. The optimal plant density is no more than 700 thousand per 1 hectare.

5. The optimal range of soil acidity for growing soybeans is pH = 6.6-8. If the acidity is below 5.9, you should not sow soybeans.

6. The best innoculants are peat-based.

7. Apply fertilizers wisely. Remember the importance of molybdenum, cobalt and sulfur.

8. It is advisable to carry out chemical treatments against dicotyledonous weeds in the phase from the first trefoil to the beginning of the third, maximum until the beginning of the fifth trefoil.

9. Choose protective drugs carefully. Know for sure whether your variety is resistant to metribuzin.

Material prepared by Igor Samoilenko

An example of calculating the optimal timing of soybean sowing

Task: knowing the date of sowing and germination, the amount of CHU required for the ripening of varieties, as well as the dynamics of their accumulation, it is necessary to determine the time of formation of beans and calculate the optimal sowing time for a specific soybean variety. Conditions: growing region - Chernihiv region; soybean varieties - Tundra and Madison. We try on each variety for the sowing deadlines - early and late. We assume that shoots appear after 5 days.

Variety Tundra

This variety has a thermal characteristic of 2,350 CHU, half of the growing season - 1,175 CHU. At this mark the formation of beans begins. The formation of beans ends when 70% of the growing season is reached: 2350 multiplied by 0.7 = 1645 CHU. Since there may still be frosts in Chernigov on May 10, we will consider the start of seedlings at least a day later - May 11, the latest date will be June 1. Consequently, the earliest sowing is possible on May 4, germination - on May 11. The latest sowing is May 23, germination is June 1.

Shoots on June 11, look at the CHU conversion plate. During the first ten days, 160 units were accumulated, add this amount of CHU to the available amounts (the beginning and end of the formation of beans): 1175 + 160 = 1335 CHU; 1645 + 160 = 1805 CHU. According to the table, CHU 1335 falls on July 5, it is at this time that beans begin to form near the Tundra. Bean formation ends at 1805 CHU, which corresponds to the date July 22. The growing season is ending, so the harvest time is August 22. Bean formation occurs during some of the longest days of the year, meaning there will be very few beans. We calculate precipitation during this period: 14 mm + 27 mm + 22 mm + 12 mm + 15 mm + 4 mm = 90 mm. There is also little precipitation. Let's consider the late sowing date for the Tundra variety - May 23. Before germination - June 1, according to the table, 550 CHU are collected.] Let's sum up: 1175 + 550 = 1725 CHU; 1645 + 550 = 2195 CHU. Next, we determine the same amount for the total growing season: 2350 + 550 = 2900.

The accumulation mark of 1725 CHU occurs on July 19, this is the beginning of the formation of beans. 70% of the growing season (2195 CHU) - August 8 (end of bean formation). The full set of 2900 CHU falls on September 9 - this is harvest time. During the period of bean formation, the day in this option is shorter, this is important. We calculate precipitation: 24.2 mm +12 mm + 15 mm + 21.5 mm +17 mm = 89.8 mm. There are also few of them, but no less than in the first version.

Let's compare the picture: theoretically, the grain in both cases will be the same - the precipitation will be the same, but more beans will be formed in the second case. And the second cleaning date - September 9th is much more suitable. Conclusion: there is definitely no point in sowing Tundra early.

Variety Madison

Madisson has a characteristic of 2700 CHU, the beginning of bean formation (early sowing period) is at 1350 CHU (June 11), the end of bean formation is at 1890 CHU (June 23). Accordingly, we carry out calculations according to the same scheme.

We calculate precipitation: 21 mm + 22 mm + 12 mm + 15 mm + 21.5 + 17 mm = 108.5 mm.

From July 11th the day is long, but from August 19th the day is short. The amount of precipitation is not bad, which means that the grain will be large and in sufficient quantity. If sowing is late, seedlings will appear on June 1. Until this time, 550 units are collected, add them to our calculations: 1350 CHU +550 CHU = 1900 CHU.

1890 CHU + 550 CHU = 2440 CHU and 2700 CHU + 550 CHU = 3,250 CHU. Let's look at the characteristics: 1900 CHU (beginning of bean formation) falls on July 27, 2,440 CHU (end of bean formation) - August 19. The end of the growing season (harvesting) - 3250 CHU falls on October 1.

We calculate precipitation: 12mm + 6mm + 15 mm + 21.5 mm + 19 m + 12 mm + 12 mm = 97.5 mm.

Conclusion: there is enough precipitation, the formation of beans occurs at a favorable time, therefore, the yield will be high, but it is difficult to harvest in October. Therefore, the sowing date needs to be shifted slightly.

And this can be done with any variety.

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06.02.2019

Botanical characteristics of soybeans

Soybean is an annual plant with a coarse tap root, penetrating to a depth of 1.5-2 m. Long lateral roots extend from the tap root. The height of the plant ranges from 20 cm to 1.5 m and depends on the soybean variety and growing conditions. The stem is straight, thick or thin, and curly in some varieties.

Lateral branches extend from the central stem in the lower half or third of it. In some forms they are located in one plane, in others in several. In some forms, lateral branches develop second-order branches.

The stem and lateral branches end either in a rough apex with a flower raceme, or in an elongated thin apex bearing leaves. The first is characteristic of forms with straight, rough stems and lateral branches, the second - forms with thin curly stems.

The entire plant is usually covered with pubescence. Its color is yellow and white. The pubescence can be short, tomentose, dense, long, distant, very sparse, appressed.

The fruit is a bean; like the whole plant it is covered with hairs. There are small beans, 3-4 cm long, medium ones - 4-5 cm and large ones, reaching 6-7 cm in length. The beans are straight, sword-shaped and crescent-shaped. Mature beans are yellow, red, light brown, the number per plant ranges from 10 to 400. Depending on the botanical form, the beans crack or remain closed when ripe.

A bean contains from one to four grains. Their absolute weight ranges from 38 to 520 g. The diameter of small grains is 5-5.4 mm, medium 6-7 mm and large grains 9.5-9.8 mm. Coloring can be yellow, green, brown, black and two-tone (marble). The grain ridge also comes in different colors: brown, black, brown, light brown or colorless. The shape of the grains is spherical or oval, convex or flat.

Environmental requirements

Soybean is a typical tropical plant, its homeland is in areas of Southeast Asia with a long frost-free period and humid, warm summers. Therefore, soybean cultivation is best achieved in areas whose climatic conditions are close to the areas of its main distribution area.

For the development of soybeans, a sum of temperatures from 2000 to 3000 is required 0 C, with a number of frost-free days of at least 120-150, with an average daily temperature of at least 15 0 C. Greatest requirements forwarmth Soybean produces during the period of flowering and ripening of beans. For the normal passage of these phases, an average temperature of 18-22 is required 0 C. A relatively high temperature is also necessary for seed germination: the optimal temperature is 15-20 0 C, and the minimum temperature is in the range of 10-12 0 C. Spring frosts at 1-2.5 0 Soybean tolerates easily and does not freeze, only being delayed slightly in growth. Autumn frosts damage the leaves, but if frosts occur shortly before ripening, then the latter ends normally.

Soybean, as a southern plant, requires a short day. As the days shorten, it sharply shortens the growing season. With a short day, flowering time accelerates, but the filling and ripening of beans is delayed. With long days, flowering times are greatly slowed down.

Different influenceday length on the course of soybean development is expressed in the fact that the photoperiod determines not only the development process, but also growth phenomena, as well as processes associated with the acceleration or delay of aging of green plant tissue. Under the influence of a long day, which the plant receives at the beginning of development or throughout the entire growing season, the yellowing and falling of leaves is accelerated, and therefore the filling and ripening of beans occurs faster. Under long-day conditions, the final phases of development pass faster than under short-day conditions.

Changes in development and growth processes caused by day length have a strong impact on plant productivity. With increasing day length, with sufficient nitrogen nutrition, the plant significantly increases the number of nodes and beans, and as a result, the number of grains. However, the absolute weight of grains decreases with increasing day length.

Soybeans belong to the group of crops that are moderately resistant to drought. During the growing season it spends 3-4 times moremoisture than wheat. Soybean plants tolerate excess moisture more easily than drought. However, when overwatered, the nitrogen-fixing activity of nodules is sharply inhibited.

For swelling and normal germination of seeds, 130-160% of their weight is required. From germination to the beginning of flowering, soybean is less demanding of moisture and tolerates drought relatively well. Soybeans make the greatest demands on moisture, as well as temperature, during flowering and bean filling.

The optimal soil moisture for soybeans is 70-80% of the maximum field moisture capacity, air - 70-75%.

Areas with stable soybean yields are characterized by wet summers, especially in the second half of the growing season.

Soy works well for everyonesoils , except for solonetzic, heavy and acidic ones, as well as swampy ones. The crop can be successfully cultivated on chernozem, chestnut and soddy-podzolic soils of different mechanical composition, and, with sufficient nutrients, on sandy soils. The optimal soil acidity for soybeans is pH 6.0-7.0.

To obtain high soybean yields, cultivated soils rich in humus and lime, well fertilized, loose, and easily warmed up are most suitable.

The best soils for soybeans are well-structured, sufficiently moisture-absorbing, with a thick root layer, highly fertile with an optimal supply of mobile elements of mineral nutrition, able to easily warm up, rich in humus, with the composition of the underlying rock. Based on the biological characteristics of soybean plants, tillage should be relatively deep. However, on eroded lands and when re-seeding stubble predecessors, it is necessary to resort to minimizing it for this crop.

Soybean predecessors in crop rotation

Soybean crops are placed in row crop sections of crop rotations, in fields free of weeds, with sufficient reserves of moisture and nutrients in the soil. Such predecessors include winter and spring wheat, winter rye, barley, corn, potatoes, and vegetables.

Soybean as a legume crop, when introduced into crop rotation, helps to increase the level of farming and the yield of subsequent grain crops.

Soybean is one of the best precursors for many crops. It improves the physical properties of the soil and, thanks to the activity of roots and nodule bacteria, loosens the soil, which promotes better penetration of moisture, its economical use and increased yield of subsequent crops in crop rotation.

Sudan grass, sunflower, and legumes that have common pests are considered bad predecessors for soybeans.

Soybean is a good precursor for grain, industrial, feed and other crops. Therefore, introducing it into crop rotation and proper alternation with other crops can improve the composition of predecessors, and therefore the productivity of crop rotation, the nitrogen balance of the soil, and increase the protein content and quality of feed. It should be placed no closer than 500 m from plantings of white and yellow acacia, as well as from legume crops, which have common pests and diseases.

Tillage

To the system basic tillage includes stubble peeling and fall plowing with a plow with a skimmer.

It is known that stubble peeling increases soybean yield. Peeling retains its importance if it is carried out correctly and in a timely manner: simultaneously with the harvesting of previous crops and no deeper than 5 cm. The best tool is a disk huller.

When carrying out the second work in the soil cultivation system - plowing - the time and depth of plowing are of great importance for increasing soil fertility and soybean yield.

Autumn plowing is carried out with plows with skimmers (cultural plowing), if possible at an earlier date. Delays in autumn plowing reduce soybean yields.

The depth of fall plowing is very important for soybean yield. Deep autumn plowing contributes to higher soybean yields than shallow plowing, especially when carried out with plows with skimmers, in combination with preliminary peeling of the stubble.

Deeply plowed soil during the entire growing season of plants has a looser top layer, which ensures conservation of soil moisture, good soil aeration and mobilization of nitrate nitrogen.

Also, deep plowing sharply reduces the infestation of soybean crops.

Pre-sowing soil treatment.

The correct pre-sowing treatment system is closely related to the fall treatment system. In fields plowed for plowed soil, the first tillage of the soil in early spring is carried out in order to create an insulating layer on the surface. The purpose of this layer is to retain soil moisture accumulated during the autumn-winter period.

On light soils that have been well prepared since autumn, an insulating layer is created using a trail or drag. These implements level the soil surface and do not spray it. In spring, they can be used earlier than harrows, soon after the snow melts. On heavy, continuous soils, heavy harrows are used, which can be used to achieve better soil preparation; Both harrowing and grading are carried out at an angle to the direction of the furrows.

In addition to this early spring cultivation of plowed land, to create a more powerful loose layer of soil for soybean sowing, cultivation is usually carried out using paw implements. Cultivation also clears the soil of weeds.

In areas with insufficient or unstable moisture, as well as in years with a dry spring, the top layer of soil often dries out. In these cases, when processing plowed land for soybeans, in addition to cultivation, rolling is used immediately before sowing. By rolling, the rise of water through capillaries from the lower moist horizons of the soil to its upper layer is enhanced.

Soybean seeds and sowing

For sowing, it is necessary to use only well-sorted and uniformly sized seeds with high germination capacity and germination energy. Soybean seeds with a high protein and fat content under poor storage conditions quickly lose field germination and reduce germination energy. Therefore, in the spring, the quality of the seed must be checked. Seeds must be well-formed, with a high specific gravity, free from quarantine weeds, live pests and their larvae that damage soybeans.

Large and medium seeds have higher sowing qualities and yields than small ones. For sowing, cleaned seeds of the first and subsequent reproductions of zoned varieties are used. The highest grain yields are obtained when sowing with first class seeds.

Sometimes after sowing there is a sharp drop in temperature. Seeds and seedlings in cold soil are more susceptible to pathogenic microorganisms and do not sprout. To increase the field germination of seeds, before sowing they are treated against bacterial and fungal diseases with Fentiuram or other analogues of TMTD. The soybean yield without seed treatment is lower than with treatment. Soybean seeds with a moisture content of up to 14% can be treated one to two months before sowing. Early treatment with pesticides protects seeds from fungal and bacterial diseases, does not reduce germination and increases yield by 15%.

Plant growth stimulants and microfertilizers are also used for seed treatment. Such preparations help to increase the energy of seed germination, and soybean seedlings appear several days earlier.

Since the flowability of treated seeds changes, it is necessary to check the setting of the seeder for the seeding rate. When using seeders with a pneumatic seeder, seed treatment has virtually no effect on the seeding rate.

Sowing dates and seed placement depth .

Soybean is a heat-loving crop. Its seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 6 - 8 0 C. When sown in soil at this temperature, the seeds quickly swell, but their germination is delayed and seedlings appear after 25-30 days. During this period, the Fusarium mycelium develops well and can cause Fusarium rot of seeds and seedlings. Field germination of seeds varies greatly depending on the timing of sowing. If sowing is too early or late, 30.3–31% of the seeds do not germinate, so the crops are sparse.

Soybean sowing begins when the soil warms up well and the stable average daily temperature at the seeding depth reaches 10-14 0 C, the danger of spring frosts has passed.

The timing of sowing depends not only on the temperature regime of the soil, the biological characteristics of the varieties, but also on the duration of the growing season, the amount of precipitation, soil moisture and aeration. In conditions of good moisture supply, soybeans are sown at the optimal time, with good soil warming and moisture. In dry years, the best results are obtained by sowing early, which allows you to use the spring moisture reserves in the soil for swelling and germination of seeds. Late sowing in such conditions leads to the fact that the seeds fall into dry soil, some of them are affected by diseases, the rest do not germinate for a long time, and seedlings are sparse. With an optimal sowing time, the best development of plants is observed.

In addition, when soybeans are sowed at the optimal time, the best conditions are created for weed control and the implementation of a set of agrotechnical practices. The most effective herbicides for soybeans are Frontier 900 (1.2-1.6 liters per hectare), Harnes 90% (1.6-3.0 liters per hectare), Duald Gold 960EC (1.2-1.6 liters per hectare). hectare) and others. The noted herbicides are used mainly to control cereal weeds and are applied under pre-sowing cultivation, or immediately before or after sowing (before the appearance of soybeans) with incorporation into the soil with harrows.

In fields that are free of weeds or when highly effective herbicides are used, planting can be done earlier.

The size of the soybean yield depends on a combination of sowing time, background fertilization and plant density.

The optimal depth for planting soybean seeds in the main production areas is 4-5 cm, on light soils - 5-6 cm. When the top layer dries out on structural soils, it can be increased to 6-8 cm. When installing seeders at the sowing depth, it is necessary to take into account that During germination, soybean seeds are brought to the surface of the cotyledons. Deviation from the optimal depth sharply reduces the yield.

The depth of soybean seed placement should be set taking into account humidity, temperature of the top layer of soil and seed quality. Shallow planting (2-4 cm) of seeds, as well as deep planting (8-10 cm), reduces the yield.

Optimal sowing dates, combined with the correct depth of seed placement and taking into account their sowing qualities, make it possible to obtain uniform and complete shoots, good plant development, and a high grain yield.

Sowing methods and seeding rates.

Moisture conditions, biological characteristics of the variety, the degree and nature of field weeds, and the technical equipment of the farm determine the method of soybean sowing. It can be sown in wide rows with row spacing of 45 cm using row-crop seeders or in the usual row method using grain or stubble seeders.

The plant's illumination, supply of moisture and nutrients depend on the plant feeding area, which affects foliage and biometric measurement indicators. With a decrease in feeding area, the height of plants, their weight, stem diameter, number of branches, beans and seeds decrease, and the height of attachment of the lower tier beans increases. With an optimal feeding area, the main number of beans (61.5-70.6%) is formed on the main stem. In sparse crops, most of them (71.5%) are located on lateral branches. With an optimal feeding area, the plants do not branch much; their shoots form in the internodes of the middle and upper tiers, where more sunlight falls.

The biological requirements of a crop in relation to illumination are best met by conventional row sowing due to the uniform distribution of plants over the area in comparison with wide-row sowing, where mutual shading occurs due to the density of plants in the row (every 2-5 cm). This method is applicable to well-cultivated fields with a low degree of weed infestation and, as a rule, requires the application of effective herbicides to maintain the purity of crops from weeds. Row sowing is more preferable for early-ripening, weakly branched, low-growing varieties, especially in the northern areas of sowing, since it achieves more accelerated and uniform ripening of plants.

Crop care

For the good development of soybeans and obtaining a high yield, timely and careful care of the crops is of great importance. Throughout the growing season, care must be taken to keep the crops free of weeds and the top layer of soil loose. With this type of crop care, the soil retains enough moisture and nutrients for the plants and provides them with good access to light and heat. All this helps to increase the yield.

Depending on the conditions of the year, the weediness of the field and the capabilities of the farm, the care system may include a different set of agricultural practices:

– on wide-row crops without herbicides – 1-2 pre-emergence harrowing, 1-2 seedling harrowing and 2-3 row-spacing cultivations;

– in case of large infestations, it is necessary to combine mechanical (harrowing, inter-row tillage) and chemical (pre- and post-emergence application of herbicides) treatments;

– on a weed-free field with conventional row sowing, it is possible to use only harrowing before and after emergence, but usually it is necessary to combine them with the use of soil (before emergence) and auxiliary (after emergence) herbicides.

Continuous cultivation of row crops, as well as harrowing, can be carried out if the length of the roots of the seeds does not exceed half the length of the seed and provided that the seeds are deeply planted. The cultivation depth is set 2-3 cm shallower than the seeding depth and carried out along the sowing rows.

Harrowing of seedlings is carried out across the sowing rows in the phase of the first trifoliate soybean leaf at a plant height of 10-12 cm. The speed of movement should not exceed 4-5 km/h. It is best to harrow crops in sunny weather in the afternoon, when soybean plants are less fragile and weed seedlings are well destroyed. The number of damaged soybean plants during harrowing before and after germination should be no more than 5 and 9%, and the number of dead weeds should be about 65-70%.

The first cultivation of row spacing is carried out 8-12 days after germination with well-marked rows to a depth of 5-6 cm with a protective zone width of 8-10 cm. For the first cultivation of row spacing, it is recommended to equip cultivators with one-sided razor paws and KRN-38 weeding harrows. The second time, the row spacing is cultivated with pointed paws to a depth of 8-10 cm eight to ten days after the first, but no later than the formation of the second pair of trifoliate leaves, the protective zone is left 10-12 cm wide. The third and fourth times are processed taking into account weeds, precipitation, closing rows and compacting the soil. The last treatment of row spacing, which usually coincides with the beginning of soybean flowering, is carried out in combination with fertilizing with mineral fertilizers.

Treatment of row spacing with cultivators not only destroys weeds, but also affects the formation of nodules on plant roots, which better fix nitrogen under aerobic conditions and require good and constant access of air.

Thus, the system of mechanized care for soybean crops includes pre-emergence harrowing of crops. After the emergence of seedlings and the rows are well marked, a second harrowing is carried out with light harrows across the crop. The number of inter-row treatments and the timing of their implementation are determined taking into account the presence of weeds: in case of weak infestation and the use of effective herbicides, one or two treatments are carried out, in case of severe infestation - two or three. During the first treatment of row spacing, the soil is loosened in the rows and protective zones using row weeding harrows. Additionally, treat the soil only when weeds appear or the top layer of soil is compacted.

When processing soybean rows, the most productive are wide-cut units consisting of three mounted KRN-4.2 cultivators and a CH-75 hitch. When completing units, it is necessary to match the working width of the weeding and sowing units.

During each treatment, the working parts of the cultivators are set to a given depth, adjusted and secured. During operation, razors and pointed tines should completely cut weeds between rows, not damage soybean plants, and loosen the soil without forming ridges and furrows. The paws should overlap each other by at least 23 cm.

Chemical weed control

Herbicides can successfully control the main weeds in soybean crops. Pre-sowing, pre-emergence, post-sowing application of herbicides, as well as chemical weeding of predecessors are used. To date, a large number of drugs have been tested on soybeans. However, only a few of them destroy weeds without damaging crop plants.

During the first weeks of its growing season, soybeans grow relatively slowly. Therefore, weeds successfully compete with it for the consumption of moisture, nutrients, and use of light. After the appearance of the first trigeminal leaf, the active formation of the soybean root system occurs. During this period, soybeans are especially vulnerable to threats from weeds. First, cereal species develop on its crops, then dicotyledonous species. Sowing is treated against dicotyledonous weeds when soybean has 1-3 trigeminal leaves, and against cereals - regardless of the phase of crop development, but usually at the phase of 5-7 leaves, that is, before flowering begins.

The following herbicides are used in soybean crops (l/ha): against dicotyledonous annual weeds - Bazagran, 48% w.r. – 1.5–3.0; Blaser 2C, 24% w.c. – 1.5–2.5; against annual cereals – Nabu, 20% a.e. – 1–3 l/ha; Poast, 20% k.e. – 1–3; Prodifox, 28% e.e. – 3–3.5; Targa, 10% k.e. – 1–2; Furore, 9% k.e. – 0.8–1.2, etc.; against perennial grains – Targa super, 5% e.e. – 2–3; Fusilade super, 12.5% ​​e.e. – 2–4, etc.

Recommended doses of herbicides for soybeans do not have negative effects. Long-term, year after year, use of herbicides does not reduce the growth and development of soybean plants, the formation of nodules, the intensity of photosynthesis and productivity. Higher doses inhibit the nitrogen-fixing activity of nodules.

Pests and diseases of soybean

When cultivating soybeans, the control of pests and diseases that affect this crop, worsen its living conditions and reduce yields is of great importance for obtaining high yields.

There are extremely many soybean pests - about 60 species, as well as diseases - 35 species. Viral diseases cause major metabolic disorders in plants, especially the protein complex.

– the most dangerous pest of soybeans. It damages plants especially severely in dry years. Butterflies lay eggs on developing beans. After hatching, the caterpillars gnaw through the valves and feed on young seeds. The acacia moth damages all soybean varieties. However, varieties in which the phase of bean formation does not coincide with the period of butterfly flight and egg laying are less damaged.

In the spring, beetles, when seedlings appear, eat the edges of the leaves, the growing point and the cotyledon leaves. The larvae live in the soil and feed on the bacterial tissue of the nodules, which reduces the efficiency of nitrogen fixation, reduces the protein content in plants, and contributes to damage to the roots by pathogens of various diseases.

Wireworm larvae gnaw holes of varying thickness in swollen seeds, seedlings and stems of seedlings, as well as in the root part of the stem. In fields infested by this pest, damage increases in years with a cold, long spring.

It settles and reproduces mainly on the underside of leaves, braiding them with a thin web. It feeds on the juice of leaves, causing them to turn yellow and fall off, accelerates ripening, reduces the weight of the plant, the number of beans and seeds in them. In the spring, overwintered individuals lay eggs on weeds and cultivated plants, then move to soybean crops.

Soybeans are damaged by caterpillars. Eating the pulp of the leaves, they leave irregularly shaped holes, braiding them with a thin web. The caterpillars hide in the leaves, rolling them up, making them difficult to control.

Bacteriosis of seeds and shoots . The causative agent is chitonomus. This disease affects seedlings, leaves, stems, beans and seeds. Round spots with a dark dot in the center first form on the leaves, bordered by a narrow oiled or wider etiolated border. Subsequently, the spots merge. Drops of exudate appear on them from the bottom in damp weather. The affected seeds have pale and yellow-brown, slightly depressed spots and ulcers, a wrinkled shell without shine. Brownish-brown spots also form on the subcotyledon. Seedlings from affected seeds thicken, bend and cannot break through to the surface. Sometimes affected seeds do not germinate at all. Bacteriosis is transmitted with seeds and remains in the field with plant debris.

Fusarium.Several species are found in soybean crops, but the most common is Physarium solari. This pathogen causes fusarium blight on seedlings, seeds and root rot. If the infection is severe, the seeds germinate and rot. Affected seedlings develop slowly and often die before reaching the surface. When shoots emerge from the affected seeds, large depressed brown ulcers develop on the cotyledons with sporulation on the surface. The development of the disease is facilitated by lower temperatures and soil compaction. Affected plants are stunted in growth and reduce productivity. Seed diseases can also develop when stored in rooms with high humidity.

Ascochytaosis.The pathogen affects seedlings, leaves, stems and leaves, stems and beans. Large round-whitish spots with a dark rim appear on the affected plants. Somewhat later, dark fruiting bodies are formed in the central part of the spot - pycnidia with spores inside, which are usually located in concentric circles (a sign of the disease). When the fungus penetrates through the bean valves onto the seeds, they rot and become covered with mycelium. The development of the disease is promoted by high humidity and thickening of the crop.

Sclerotinia, white rot . The causative agent is the sclerotinia fungus. White rot affects stems, side branches, beans, seeds or whole plants. Diseased plants wither and dry out, the tissue in the affected areas becomes discolored, rots and collapses. The beans become rotten and the seeds rot. In affected plants, parenchymal tissue, pith, and primary medullary rays are destroyed. The shape of sclerotia can be round, elongated and worm-shaped.

Round gray spot. The causative agent is Cercospora. On cotyledons it appears in the form of brown surface spots or through brown ulcers with a dark brown rim. On the surface of the leaf there is a grayish coating of sporulation of the fungus. Round whitish-gray spots with a sharply defined brown rim form on the leaves; there is a dark gray coating on the underside of the leaf. The spots on the stems are elongated, violet-red, darkening, with a grayish center and a brown rim, with weak sporulation. When bean valves are infected with cercospora blight, the same spots develop on them as on the leaves. On infected seeds, irregularly rounded, convex or superficial yellowish spots of various sizes with a sharp brown rim or spots without a clearly defined border, dark brown with blurry edges, form. Sporulation appears only when the seeds enlarge. With the strong development of cercospora blight, the spots merge, the leaves fall off, the germination of seeds decreases by 12-55%, the fat content - by 2-7, protein - by 4-5%.

Downy mildew, downy mildew . The causative agent is the fungus peronospora. One of the common diseases. On the affected cotyledons, a delicate, quickly disappearing coating of fungal sporulation forms on the upper and lower sides. A grayish-purple felt coating develops on the leaves on the underside, which forms locally or completely covers the leaf tissue. On the upper side of the leaves in the affected areas, the tissue is initially light green, later turning brown and torn. A thick grayish-purple coating develops inside diseased beans. A creamy, easily scraped film of fungal zoospores forms on the seeds. The strongest development of downy mildew is observed during the bean filling period (mid-August). Varieties with yellow and green seeds are more affected than those with black or brown seeds.

Refers to viral diseases. The disease causes mosaic coloring and leaf deformation. Diseased plants are stunted in growth, the ovaries dry out and fall off, sometimes the affected leaves curl down and inward, later they become leathery and covered with chlorotic spots that increase in size. The veins on such leaves turn brown.

Pest and disease control measures.

To reduce damage by pests and susceptibility to diseases, soybean crops are placed after the best predecessors (wheat, corn, winter rye, vegetables), at a distance of no closer than 500 m from legume crops and white and yellow acacia plantings. Plowing for soybeans is carried out to a depth of 28-30 cm. Healthy large seeds of immune varieties are used for sowing. In advance of sowing, the seeds are treated with fenthiuram (3-4 kg/t), 80% TMTD (3-4 kg/ha) or tigam (3-4 kg/ha). During the period of formation and filling of beans, crops are treated with systemic poisons every 10-12 days. During the growing season, diseased plants are removed from the crop. After harvesting, the seeds are cleaned, dried and stored in disinfected warehouses.

Soybean harvesting

The final result of growing this crop depends on the correct and timely harvesting of soybeans: the quantity and quality of products. Poor and untimely harvesting of crops can lead to significant crop losses and a decrease in its quality.

In soybeans, indicators of the harvest time of most varieties are yellowing and falling leaves, yellowing and browning of stems and beans. The grains in the beans make noise when the plants are shaken. The seeds acquire the color and shape characteristic of this variety. Soybeans are harvested when the beans are fully ripe using combine harvesters.

Soybeans, which are highly hygroscopic, are very sensitive to changes in relative air humidity during the day. At the same time, it dries much easier on the root than after harvesting. Wet grain spoils quickly. This must be kept in mind because soybean harvesting usually takes place in a wetter (later) period of the year than harvesting, for example, cereal crops. Soybean grain splits very easily along the plane of contact of the cotyledons and is much more crushed by mechanical stress.

To speed up the ripening of soybeans, it is recommended to use chemical defoliation of crops. Treatment of soybeans with defoliants is carried out at different times: in the green bean phase at a grain moisture content of 76-78%, in the yellow bean phase and at the beginning of their browning at a grain moisture content of 63%. With early chemical defoliation, 86% of the leaves fall off already on the seventh day after treatment.

Sowing late in the season is accelerated by drying out and falling leaves. Processing soybean crops during the green bean phase at a grain moisture content of 76-78% accelerates its ripening by 14-15 days, but reduces the yield. Defoliation during the green bean phase at a grain moisture content of 70% accelerates ripening by 12-13 days without reducing the yield. When sprayed during the yellow bean phase and at the beginning of their browning, ripening is also accelerated without reducing the yield.

Soybeans can also be chemically seeded to speed up maturation by eight to ten days. After applying desiccation, the leaves dry out and fall off faster, the seeds ripen, while maintaining sowing and yield qualities.

The duration of soybean harvesting should not exceed 15 days. Combines used for soybean harvesting must meet the following basic requirements:

Cut soybean plants no higher than 5–7 cm from the soil surface;

Ensure harvesting when grain humidity varies throughout the day within 12-16%;

Provide minimal grain crushing during threshing;

It is good to separate a heap of soybeans, completely separating the grain, with as little contamination as possible.

Soybean is a plant known to everyone; it is one of the oldest on earth and many gardeners are engaged in its cultivation. Growing 1-2 dozen soybean bushes will be enough for a family.

For soybeans to grow, certain conditions are necessary - a sunny, fertile area with a good drainage layer. Soybean does not like stagnation of water and cold. Soil acidity should be in the range of pH 6.5-7.0, with acidity pH< 5,5 обязательно провести известкование почвы. Кислый грунт и слишком щелочной грунт замедляет развитие корневой системы. На заболоченных и солончаковых почвах растения погибают.

In the spring, when the sun begins to actively warm the ground, prepare a bed for sowing - break up the clods, loosen and level the soil. It is inconvenient to collect low-growing soybean fruits; a leveled bed will simplify the work.

In stable warm weather (late April-mid-May, if the soil has warmed up to 10-15°C), soybean seeds are placed in grooves spilled with water 5-6 cm deep, at a distance of 5-7 cm from each other. The distance between the grooves is 40- 45 cm. Crops are moistened and mulched with peat. Mulching will help retain the necessary moisture and air exchange in the soil. If you ignore mulching, you will have to regularly loosen it, since clogging the soil negatively affects the plant. The first time they begin to loosen when sprouts appear, this will remove weeds. Water regularly, especially during the flowering period. Drought has a negative effect on the formation of flowers, and after flowering the ovaries may fall off. A sharp cold snap causes a slowdown in growth and a delay in flowering, but not the death of plants.

When the soybean bushes throw up flowers, nitrophoska is added to the soil; thanks to this fertilizing, the quality of the crop improves. Complex mineral fertilizer can be combined with manure.

Soybean is not particularly resistant to diseases and pests. There are many enemies, and you need to be prepared to fight them. If any signs of disease appear, the affected plants are removed and burned. For prophylaxis, at the stage of appearance of 5-7 leaves, soybeans are treated with a drug that includes Bentazone, Imazethapyr or Imazamox.

Soybeans are harvested when the beans turn a slightly gray color and the leaves begin to fall off. It is important not to miss the moment of collecting the beans, otherwise they will crack and fall to the ground. Fallen leaves are buried in the soil. The stems are mowed, the bean pods are dried, threshed, winnowed and stored in fabric bags or paper bags. Soybeans should not be stored in containers and containers where condensation accumulates.

Growing soybeans on a personal plot allows you not only to enjoy the taste of its fruits, but also to create favorable conditions for the soil. The soil is not eroded and is enriched with organic nitrogen from roots and stems. Soybeans are grown in one place for 2-3 years, after which it is better to change the area. The best predecessors of soybeans are sugar beets, grains and winter crops. Avoid beds with cabbage, legumes, lentils, lupine and
, since some types of diseases can safely migrate to soybeans.

Soy is an interesting product; it is used in the preparation of soy milk, meat, soy sauce, low-quality coffee, flour, oil and other culinary products. It is used as a substitute for a natural product, as it has a large amount of minerals and protein. Soybeans are often presented as a GMO product, but if you plant and grow it on your own plot, this idea can be refuted.