The Missouri Soybean Growth Monitoring Report was started in June and is published bi-weekly on the MU Extension website.

The first Soybean Growth Monitoring Report of July highlights contrasting yield predictions across Missouri regions for the 2024 season.

The northwest, northeast, and central counties are on track to achieve substantially higher yields in areas unaffected by prolonged soil saturation or flooding. In contrast, lowland areas and poorly drained soils are experiencing excess water stress, with yet undefined yield penalties. The absence of oxygen in soil pores impacts crop development, decreasing nitrogen fixation activity and causing root death.

The southwest region was more affected by a June dry spell than any other part of the state. April-planted beans, which were in the flowering and pod-setting stages during this period, are likely to experience a yield reduction. However, the June water deficit did not negatively affect late-planted beans in the region.

The irrigated southeast region is expected to yield within a normal range, whereas dryland fields are following the trend of higher yields observed in the northeast, northwest, and central regions.

More information at https://extension.missouri.edu/programs/soybean/soybean-growth-monitoring.