Water Quality and Management
Rain, rain, go away. (Especially when fieldwork must get done.) Come again another day. (Preferably during grain fill.) Farmers are particular about when and how it rains. For soybeans, too much water, especially early in the season, can drown plants or limit growth. But too little water, especially during pod set and fill, also limit growth. Water management includes efficient drainage and irrigation, while protecting water quality as it moves through fields into watersheds. Research, tools and resources from the soy checkoff help farmers optimize moisture from rain and irrigation, while preserving water quality.
Too much or too little water creates challenges for soils and soybeans. Farmers, researchers and industry stakeholders discuss managing availability of water to crops and quality of water moving from fields into watersheds.
