In the Pod: Soybean Updates

Bruce Sundeen: 00:00

You're listening to In The Pod, Soybean Updates, a weekly trek into the latest soybean information from NDSU Extension. Drought conditions can cause a lot of stress for soybean farmers. But according to Ana Carcedo, NDSU Extension agronomist, thinking ahead could reduce some of that stress. Ana, is there a way to make crops drought proof?

Ana Carcedo: 00:20

First, we need to recognize something important. There is no single management practice that will make a crop drought proof. How much damage we see depends on when the drought occurs, how severe it is, what growth stage the crop is in, or management practices, and very, very importantly, knowing your soil.

Bruce Sundeen: 00:44

Why is knowing your soil important during drought?

Ana Carcedo: 00:48

Because soils differ in their availability to store water and make that water available to the crop. Soil texture, soil structure, organic matter and root depth all affect the plant available water. When we think about drought management, we shouldn't only be asking how much rain did I get. We also need to ask how much of that rain did my soil capture? How much can I store? And how much can my crop actually can access? Another strategy is crop diversification. Different crops reach their highest water demand at different times. Small grains such as wheat require more water earlier in the summer. Corn reaches their peak of demand in July and early August and is particularly sensitive around silken when we're talking about soybeans. Soybeans begin flowering earlier but water becomes especially important during pulp development and seed filling. Diversifying your crop rotation doesn't make the drought disappear but it can help spread the risk so that not every crop on the farm is going through its most drought sensitive stage during the same dry period. Another thing we can do is plant on time whenever conditions allow. Timely planting gives crop more opportunity to establish their root system before the hottest and driest part of the summer. Of course, here in North Dakota we have limited flexibility. Cold temperatures, wet soils and frost risks put pretty real boundaries around how early can we plant and you guys know that. But when soil and weather conditions are suitable, avoiding unnecessary planting delays can help the crop to make better use of the growing season and establish a stronger root system before summer stress arrives.

Bruce Sundeen: 02:48

So how does good soil health help during drought conditions?

Ana Carcedo: 02:52

Improving soil health can improve how efficiently field captures and stores rainfall. Compaction can restrict rooting and reduce infiltration. Good soil structure helps rainfall to move into the soil profile instead of being lost as a runoff. Keeping crop residue on the soil surface can also reduce soil temperature and evaporation while helping limit runoff and erosion. And reducing unnecessary tillage can help minimize additional moisture losses.

Bruce Sundeen: 03:29

Ana, are there other practices to consider?

Ana Carcedo: 03:31

Organic matter is another piece of the puzzle because it contributes to the soil's ability to retain water. Cover crops can also improve aggregation, biological activity, infiltration, soil cover itself. But there is an important caution here. Cover crops use water too. During dry conditions, species selection, establishment and spatial determination need to be managed really carefully. None of those practices can replace rainfall, but they can help us do something extremely important. Capture more of the water we receive, Keep it in the soil longer and make more of it available for the crop when the rain stops. In a dry year, every bit of available water counts.

Bruce Sundeen: 04:23

Thanks, Ana. Our guest has been Ana Carcedo, NDSU Extension agronomist. You're listening to In the Pod, Soybean Updates, a weekly trek into the latest soybean information from NDSU Extension supported by the North Dakota Soybean Council.