Research HighlightsTrials Test Soybean Planting Speed Limits
Highlights:
- Advanced planting technologies can allow farmers to plant soybeans faster, according to Mississippi State research.
- Trials compared planting at speeds 50%, 75% and nearly 100% of the traditional 6 to 7 miles per hour.
- Seed-to-soil contact and field conditions remain critical for soybean planting, regardless of planting speed.
By Laura Temple
How fast can you plant soybeans? Especially when field conditions improve just enough to handle equipment, but the next wave of rain clouds loom on the horizon.
According to equipment manufacturers, advanced technologies on planters allow farmers to drive faster when planting. But those technologies were primarily developed for corn.
“We wanted to learn if the claims held true for soybeans as well,” says Wes Lowe, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Mississippi State University. “Soybean planting is basically a controlled spill of seed, due to the high seeding rates used in our production systems.”
Lowe led research using planter row units equipped with technologies like hydraulic downforce, electronic seed metering and speed tubes, or powered seed delivery systems. The Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board invested Soy Checkoff support in his research to find out how these technologies apply to planting soybeans, as well as the potential for yield responses associated with using these advanced planting systems.
“If farmers can trust advanced technologies and plant faster, they would be able to get more seed in the ground around the optimum planting date, with the ultimate goal of improving planting efficiency and increasing soybean yields,” he explains.
Working with Mike Mulvaney, associate professor and Hartwig Chair of soybean agronomy at Mississippi State University, his trials started in small plots on research stations in 2022, expanded to large research station plots in 2023 and moved to on-farm plots of 40 to 120 acres in 2024 and 2025. In addition to Soy Checkoff support, Case IH partnered with Lowe by providing equipment for on-farm research.
Traditional soybean planting speeds in Lowe’s region is 6 to 7 miles per hour on average, depending on field conditions. His team tested three additional planting speeds:
- Plus 50% of traditional speed, or 9 miles per hour.
- Plus 75%, or 10.5 miles per hour.
- Nearly double the traditional average, up to 12 miles per hour, when field conditions allowed.
The trials also compared seeding populations from 125,000 to 145,000 seeds per acre.
“In previous trials, we saw minimal variations in soybean stand counts across our range of planting speeds, with only slightly lower plant populations at higher speeds,” Lowe reports. “Even with these minor variations, we recorded zero statistical differences in yield at any of the higher planting speeds when compared to a traditional planting speed, regardless of seeding rate or variations in soil type within a field. These very promising results provide farmers evidence that they can plant faster with advanced technologies.”
He notes the importance of controlling row unit bounce to ensure good seed-to-soil contact. And planting into favorable field conditions remains critical. That includes ideal moisture levels and a smooth field surface.
“Fields need to be smooth, rather than filled with speed bumps to plant at higher speeds,” he says. “That limits row unit chatter and ensures that soybean seeds are planted at the intended spacing and depth.”
He hopes to explore the value of specific elements of planter technologies, like speed tubes, in future research. Unbiased data on how these technologies impact planting will help farmers make equipment decisions for their farms.
“Farmers may choose to upgrade planter technology on existing equipment rather than buying a second set of planting equipment,” Lowe says. “Upgrades may provide the planting efficiency they need to manage challenging spring conditions.”
He believes that farmers need answers to these types of questions to choose the best solutions for their operation. Advanced planting technology isn’t a one-size-fits all option, but high-speed planting offers another tool that some farmers can use.
Additional Resources
Checkoff Research Shows a Change in Optimum Planting Date – SRIN article
Evaluating Early Soybean Planting to Fit Fieldwork Logistics – SRIN article
Corn–Soybean Planting Order Could Impact Farm Revenue – SRIN article
Meet the researcher: Wes Lowe SRIN profile | University profile
Published: Sep 22, 2025
The materials on SRIN were funded with checkoff dollars from United Soybean Board and the North Central Soybean Research Program. To find checkoff funded research related to this research highlight or to see other checkoff research projects, please visit the National Soybean Checkoff Research Database.
