Nationwide, soybeans can be planted in early May with little risk of frost injury. Through the center of the Corn Belt, soybeans can be planted as early as April 21. Planting should be delayed slightly in northern states such as the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Midwestern soybean agronomists generally agree that soybeans should be planted directly after corn. In the Southeast, soybeans need not be planted prior to May 1.
In the Midsouth where the producers utilize the Very Early Production System (VEPS – where MG III-IV’s are planted and harvested early), soybeans may be planted as early as late March.
In the Midwest, soybeans can be planted though late May, around the 21st, with little risk of yield loss. In the Southeast this date may be as late as early July. In the Midsouth, where the VEPS is utilized, soybeans must be planted by mid-April.
