Soybeans
Soybean production in Mississippi has experienced many changes over the years. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, state average yields were 21 and 26 bushels per acre, respectively. During the 2000’s, Mississippi’s average yield increased to 34 bushels per acre. Since that time, soybean production has improved even more with the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons resulting in the two highest state yields on record, with averages of 52 and 46 bushels per acre, respectively.
Soybean is currently the top row crop and number three on the list of agricultural commodities in Mississippi behind poultry and forestry. In 2015, Mississippi soybean producers harvested over 100 million bushels on nearly 2.3 million acres. The 2015 total production value for soybeans in Mississippi reached $930 million.
Mississippi soybean producers are commonly planting maturity Groups IV and V soybean varieties, with the majority of the state’s acreage being planted by the end of May each year. There are many management decisions required for successful soybean production. These decisions include, but are not limited to, variety selection, planting date, pest management, irrigation management, and nutrient requirements. Such decisions will vary depending on factors such as production location or issues that may occur within a given year. Many sources of information are available regarding soybean management in Mississippi. These resources should be utilized to ensure that the best management practices are incorporated for successful soybean production.
Publications
News
Cotton and corn acreage in Mississippi are more than 30% below March projections, while growers of soybeans and peanuts planted much more than initially forecasted.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Row crop growers in Mississippi used a relatively dry May to make up for planting time lost earlier in the spring due to wet weather and soggy fields.
As of May 24, planting progress for the state’s four major row crops was slightly behind their five-year averages but ahead of where it was at that time in 2019.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Weather always plays a role in the spring planting decisions of Mississippi row-crop producers, but the market impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is another variable they will have to consider in 2020.
Fertilizer recommendations are constantly examined and rarely modified, but change came this year after Mississippi State University research demonstrated higher potassium recommendations increase soybean yields.
In 2019, Mississippi’s agricultural industry faced the prospect of dipping below $7 billion for the first time in eight years, but federal payments pushed its value up enough to post a slight gain over 2018.
The estimated value of Mississippi agriculture in 2019 is $7.39 billion, a 0.2% gain from last year’s $7.37 billion. Included in the total is an estimated $628 million in government payments, the largest amount of federal assistance Mississippi producers have seen since 2006
Success Stories
Greg Chambers is one Mississippi producer who’s focused on innovating. Whether he’s growing soybeans and wheat on his Prentiss County property or raising cattle and goats on other acres, Chambers is always looking for a better, more efficient way of doing things.
Lonnie Fortner was the first row-crop producer in southwest Mississippi to use many of the same precision ag technologies that are now commonplace.
Before adopting RISER techniques on his farm, irrigating was the part of the growing season Clark Carter always dreaded.
“We would string out plastic pipe, punch holes in it every couple of feet, and hook it up, only to see it blow out when we turned the water on,” says the Rolling Fork row-crop producer. “Very seldom did you get a run of pipe to fill up and water a field. It was unorganized chaos every year.
