With soya bean production currently on the rise in South Africa, more crop farmers are looking into the process of planting soya beans. In South Africa, the majority of soya bean production is from Roundup Ready cultivars, which can be obtained from our recommended agents.

Planting Soya Beans

The most appropriate date for planting soya beans in South Africa is from early to mid-November. The spacing between the rows of the soya beans can range from 5 to 15cm between the plants, but an early plant date has a bigger effect on yield than row width. Spacing can also be determined by your irrigation method or general water availability. Keep in mind that bigger plants are prone to excessive vegetation growth, which can cause lodging. Soya bean seeds should be planted at a soil depth of 3 to 5cm. Good seed-to-soil contact must be ensured to enhance germination.

Notes for planting soya beans:

• Soya bean plants emerge within 5 to 7 days after planting.
• In cooler areas, you should plant earlier to obtain the best results.
• Soya beans must experience a certain number of hours of darkness every day before they progress from the vegetative (V) to the reproductive (R) stage.
• Early planting will give rise to bigger plants that bear pods higher above the ground, which makes the harvesting easier and reduces wastage.
• Cold, wet soil early in the season can lead to plant growth limitations.
• Late frost can cause great damage.
• Larger soya bean plants are likely to have a denser canopy and can benefit soya production in the following ways:
  • Helps with weed control.
  • Increase transpiration.
  • Reduce evaporation.
  • Water goes towards increasing the yield.
• Minimising environmental stress will optimise seed yield.

Late Planting

Planting soya beans after November is regarded as late. Should any conditions force a late planting date, it is better to start with the quicker growth cultivars. Soya beans that are planted late and have less time to absorb sufficient sunlight. The plants themselves are also smaller and have fewer nodes where pods can develop.

• Narrower rows provide more sunlight for V-stages.
• Together with the narrower rows, the plant emergence should be increased by 25%.
• Prevent compaction and make sure that seedlings can emerge quickly. Late planting dates are usually associated with wetter soil.
• Pythium (plant parasite) prohibits proper plant growth in warm, wet conditions. Use soya bean seeds that have been treated with a fungicide to combat this problem.

Want to try one of our soya bean cultivars in your next harvest?

Our Intacta® RR2 Pro soya bean seeds can be purchased in bulk at any of our agents. For more information on any of our soya bean cultivars, please contact our South African SHS branch at 081 490 9825​ for more information.