Unlock Yield Potential of Early-Planted Soybeans

Sulfur applications can increase nitrogen fixation and nodule formulation.

- By Chelsea Dinterman

Planting soybeans early helps maximize yield by increasing the plant's productive life. When April planting dates come with cool, wet soils, sulfur management is key to ensuring yield potential.

Sulfur is an essential nutrient for nitrogen fixation, nodule formation, and seed protein content. Soybean plants draw sulfur from organic matter within the soil, but the amount readily available in early spring can be limited.

"When the soil is cooler, mineralization of microbial activity is limited, so there is an opportunity to bolster it with a soluble source of sulfur," said Shaun Casteel, an agronomy professor at Purdue University.