2026
How planting date, maturity group, and irrigation scheduling affect soybean yield and pest management
Contributor/Checkoff:
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
(none assigned)
Parent Project:
This is the first year of this project.
Lead Principal Investigator:
Tina Sullivan, Kansas State University
Co-Principal Investigators:
Eric Adee, Kansas State University
Scott Dooley, Kansas State University
Sarah Lancaster, Kansas State University
Rodrigo Onofre, Kansas State University
Jeff Whitworth, Kansas State University
+4 More
Project Code:
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Institution Funded:
Brief Project Summary:
Soybean acreage have grown in rotation in Central and Eastern Kansas as acres while at the same time irrigated acres move from the west to the east. Irrigated soybeans receive limited updated management due to the limited acreage, but they could be the considered the most stable, high yielding acres. This study aims to understand how planting date, maturity group, and irrigation management affect soybean yield parameters and the pest management factors north central and eastern Kansas.
Unique Keywords:
#irrigation, #maturity group, #pest management, #planting date
Information And Results
Project Summary

The water quantity concerned push irrigated acres from the western Kansas to the central and eastern where corn and soybean are grown more often in rotation. Though only 10% of soybean acres are irrigated, the potential exists to maximize yield and resources. Crop based irrigation strategies through the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) were developed in the 1990s for the generalized Central United States based on a May planting date. The classification averages across soil types, planting dates, and changing precipitation pattern. Soybeans cover the second most irrigated acreage in Kansas, second to corn. Soybean varieties and management change year after year, making a generalized water need to supply irrigation decisions limited in application. Understanding how planting date, maturity group variety, and irrigation timing effect soybean yield will give growers tools on how to manage their water supply for climate resiliency across extreme weather events. Irrigation scheduling can also conserve water and energy when implemented correctly, allowing growers to lower expenses in tight budget years. Though this project does not include pest management specific treatments, understanding how crop and irrigation management effects the pest pressure and occurrence are important as they affect potential harvestability and yield potentials.

Project Objectives

1. Evaluate the impact of planting date, maturity group, and irrigation management on soybean yield, oil content and water use efficiency at two study sites - Scandia and Topeka.
2. Assess Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), key weed, and insect pressure under different planting dates, varieties, and irrigation regimes with the goal of identifying planting or irrigation practices that minimize disease impact on yield and oil content
3. Update irrigation scheduling practices for soybean production in the central and eastern portion of Kansas with cost analysis and yield potentials
4. Understand the practices conducted by irrigated soybean farmers in central and eastern Kansas through a grower survey

Project Deliverables

Field day presentations, training for local Extension agents, field report for KS farmers, peer reviewed publication, guidance for future soybean research

Progress Of Work

Final Project Results

Benefit To Soybean Farmers

Irrigated soybean farmers will gain information on the interaction of planting date, maturity group, and irrigation timing effects the potential crop yield and pest management strategies. Irrigated soybeans in Kansas are unique and should receive research for the interaction of factors they face in rotation.

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.