Dan Bjorklund on his podcast with Landus. Image courtesy of Landus Cooperative

Abundance of rainfall continues to be an issue for soybeans across Iowa.

Landus Cooperative Field Agronomist Dan Bjorklund says soybeans are struggling this year, due to the wet conditions.

“When it’s so saturated, the port spaces between the silt, sand and clay that we’ve got there is either going to be filled with air or water. When it’s filled with water day, after day, after day, week, after week, after week and you don’t have oxygen most of the biology below ground needs oxygen to survive. Even the roots themselves will eventually will just die off.” 

Bjorklund points out that the soybean roots are the delivery system to the plant and those areas have been severely stressed this year. While he believes the warmer temperatures this weekend will help to dry out the soil, Bjorklund adds that he would like those temperatures to sustain more than just a few days to really help soybeans be more productive. 

According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture, last week’s Crop and Condition Report had soybeans at 76 percent good to excellent condition statewide.