Double Crop Soybean Production: A Mid-South Perspective.

Double-cropped (DC) soybean [Glycine max (Merr) L.] has accounted for about 6% of the total harvested soybean acres in the U.S. during the past five years, but has fluctuated between 3 to 9% depending on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) acreage. Historical data shows that DC soybean acreage was the highest during the early 1980’s with as much as 16% of the national soybean acreage being planted to DC soybeans. However, for the last 22 years, DC soybean acreage has trended below 10% of the national annual soybean acreage. On average for the last five years, the Mid-south states (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee) have had a higher percentage of DC soybean acres than the Northern states (Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, and Missouri). This trend could be due to the longer growing season for soybean in the Southern U.S. compared to that in the North. Current production practices for DC soybean unique to the Mid-south will be discussed during this presentation.