Cultivation

Planting density — soybean

Glycine max (L.) Merr.

A critical agronomic factor determining plant architecture, the height of the lowest pod attachment, and the productivity of soybean agrocenosis. Optimal figures depend on the biological characteristics of the variety, ranging from 400 thousand to 1.3 million plants per hectare.

In the reference 52 varieties crop Soybean, where this is mentioned in the description.

For soybeans, planting density directly affects yield structure and harvest efficiency. With excessive thickening, the risks of lodging increase, photosynthetic activity decreases due to impaired light penetration, and each plant forms fewer pods. If the stand is too sparse, the lower pods are set too low, which increases losses during mechanized harvesting; additionally, weed infestation of the crops increases due to the crop's low initial competitiveness.

The seeding rate should be selected individually for each variety, taking into account the maturity group, bush type, sowing method, and water availability. Under field conditions, the average plant survival rate by the time of harvest is 85–88% of the number of viable seeds sown, although weather conditions during the growing season can alter the final density by up to 37%.

Regulating density is the primary tool for ensuring sufficient height of the lowest pod attachment. Furthermore, this parameter is closely linked to the efficiency of symbiotic nitrogen fixation, as the number of nodules per unit area depends on the total number of plants, as well as to the selection of weed control strategies during the early stages of the crop's slow growth.

General information about the subject — on the page Planting density.

Sources8

Varieties of Soybean mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.