When making the choice to plant soybeans there are crucial elements to take heed of. Capstone Seeds has put together some of that information here to make that process a little easier.
E.g. 1 Initiate flowering in Early January: Different Cultivar Maturity required for different Latitudes.
E.g. 2 13.1 hour day-length: The same cultivar will flower on different dates at different latitudes.
E.g. 3 13.5 hour – ideal for Polokwane (+/- MG6) = Very Late Maturity in PE but too quick in Harare
Late maturity next to early maturity (Maclear)
Early maturity next to medium maturity (Maclear)
In cool areas a late maturity cultivar planted too late will not mature before the cold months come.
Important Rules
Planting date in soybeans is more important than maize. Make it the priority.
Cool Areas
· Plant before maize.
· Plant early in cool areas (but after the critical date), because growth is much slower.
· Plant a quick maturity cultivar for the latitude so it matures during the warm part of the season.
In eastern coastal belts rainfall peaks earlier than inland areas
· On the same latitude earlier maturity cultivars must be planted near the coast and later maturity cultivars as you go west.
In warmer areas plant a combination of maturity groups to spread your risk.
· Plant early maturity first and later maturity last.
