Smart management for continuous soybeans

A thought-out management plan is essential to making the most of continuous soybeans.

"When planting a mono-crop, we want to do things that build up yield potential," said Matt Montgomery, a Pioneer field agronomist, in a news release. "We want to get beans in the ground earlier. Each day is an additional pod or node, offsetting potential pod attrition and minimizing yield losses."

When planting continuous soybeans, disease management must be top of mind. Avoid planting into fields that have previously had disease problems. Make smart variety selections and utilize seed treatments to help fight pests and disease.

"A vigorous, multimode of action seed treatment package is a must," Montgomery said. "You cannot skimp on seed treatment if you're talking about beans on beans."

Plant into mostly weed-free fields, as second-year soybeans can struggle in weedy fields. A preemergent herbicide with multiple modes of actions can also be effective.

Fields with continuous soybeans may also require additional fertilizer and nutrients. For example, soybeans require adequate potassium, so a potassium fertilizer may be beneficial