There are no guarantees when it comes to expected soya bean yield per hectare, but generally speaking, with a plant population of 250 000 to 500 000 plants per hectare, one could expect about two to five tons of soya bean yield per hectare.
This is calculated by multiplying the number of seeds (per hectare) by your final seed weight. The number of soya bean seeds per hectare is calculated by the number of pods and the average number of seeds per pod.
Below, we’ve outlined the production requirements you’ll need to achieve such a yield. We also discuss why genetically modified soya bean seeds are the best option if you want to guarantee a high yield.
Production Requirements for One Hectare of Soya Beans
In order to achieve a plant population of 250 000 – 500 000 plants per hectare, you’ll require ±100kg of soya bean seeds for each hectare, It is recommended that your soya bean seeds are inoculated with Rhizobium bacteria before being sown.
Soya beans are sensitive to soil acidity and require pH levels of at least 5.5.
The hypocotyl (seedling neck) breaks easily during emergence if put under too much pressure, which is why soya bean seeds also require well-aerated soil with a loose profile. Soil that compacts easily and forms a crust should be avoided.
Planting should commence from mid-November to early December in South Africa.
The following recommendations may be used as a guide:
- Very hot (Bushveld and Lowveld conditions): End November – end December.
- Warm (North West and Northern Province, Northern KwaZulu-Natal, and Northern Free State): Mid-November – mid-December.
- Cool (Southern KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Free State, Eastern Mpumalanga): End October – end November.
Genetically Modified Soya Bean Seeds
Intacta RR2 Pro (Intacta® Roundup® Ready2 Pro) is the second genetically modified soya bean trait to be approved for cultivation in South Africa.
Intacta® Roundup® Ready2 Pro also provides glyphosate tolerance for weed management and is able to reposition the herbicide-tolerant trait on the DNA of the plant.
Local small plot regulated trials concluded with an average yield advantage of 300 kg/ha for Intacta RR2 Pro cultivars.
Intacta RR2 Pro soya beans provide the following:
- Herbicide tolerance (HT) for glyphosate.
- Insect-resistance (IR) which saves expenditure on insecticides.
- The positioning of the HT trait in the DNA of the germplasm which may result in higher yields.
Choose SHS For All Your Soya Been Seed Needs Our 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.
