Plant Development and Soils Conditions Effected By Planting Date and Maturity Group.

Soybean is a vital crop in agriculture production across the United States, especially in the southeast. Like most crops in production, its maturity groups and planting dates vary across cultivars and location. These differences play a large role in how the plant develops and the soil conditions before and after. The soil conditions are affected further by the nitrogen fixation that occurs from the legume species. In this project, four different maturity groups will be planted both early and late in randomized sample plots. Soils samples will be taken to determine various characteristics, and the plants will be visually observed and measured to determine differences in growth. It is the goal to determine what difference occurs from the separate planting dates. To obtain the best results, this has been an ongoing annual study. This year, the process was altered by planting in a non-irrigated field. The goal will be to analyze weather effects in conjunction with the planting variables. Moving forward, we should be able to make recommendations to producers about using certain cultivars with particular planting ranges.