Sep 26, 2024
Replanting Soybeans in Brazil Increases Costs by More Than 10%
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Farmers in central Brazil are anxious to get started on their 2024/25 soybean planting, but hot and dry conditions have forced them to wait for improved soil moisture. Normally by the end of September, farmers in Mato Grosso for example, would be well into their soybean planting.
Delaying soybean planting does not necessarily mean the eventual soybean yield will be negatively impacted. Late planted soybeans can achieve normal yields if the weather cooperates during the remainder of the growing season. A delay in planting soybeans can result in planting a second crop of corn or cotton after the ideal planting window has closed. Farmers must weigh the risks of planting their soybeans in less-than-ideal conditions vs. planting their second crop too late.
Agronomists are advising farmers not to plant their soybeans "in the dust" or to plant after the first light shower because the soybeans may need to be replanted. Replanting can increase production costs by more than 10% and reduce the efficiency of the farming operation.
Farmers are recommended to plant only a part of their soybeans when soil moisture is limited and to wait for adequate soil moisture to plant the remainder of the crop That way, at least part of the crop could be harvested in time to plant a second crop of corn or cotton within the ideal planting window.
An additional factor in deciding when to plant is the soil temperature. If the residue from a prior crop was burnt by one of the numerous wildfires that have afflicted central Brazil in recent months, the soil temperatures can get exceedingly hot, which could jeopardize soybean germination. Therefore, any field without ground cover should not be planted until there is sufficient rainfall to reduce the soil temperature and ensure germination.