Ohio soybeans are dry, but crop could recover

COLUMBUS – Ohio’s soybean crop is in poor condition, with lack of rain the main culprit.

Much of the crop is uneven, and poor root systems that developed under wet conditions during planting are now in desperate need of water, said Pat Lipps, an Ohio State University plant pathologist.

“The bottom line is we need rain,” Lipps said. “The longer we go without rain, the more the plants will become stressed, and eventually it will affect yields.”

Much of the state is in a rain deficit, with the northeast and central regions of the state the most affected.

“The southwest part of the state is in pretty good shape, but as you go north and east it gets worse,” Lipps said. “We’ve received some spotty showers but the amount of acreage the rain has helped has been minimal. It’s barely enough to keep the plants going.”

Seventy percent of the soybean crop has bloomed and 20 percent of the plants are setting pods, Lipps said. With timely rain the crop can recover, he said.

“The soybean plant has a tremendous capacity to maintain itself under stress,” he said. “I’ve seen droughts like this before and have everything turn around in August and come out in fairly good shape.”