understanding seed group #'s and maturity

[CircleJAcres]

Last year I planted soybeans for the first time.  Before this I planted a lot of Sorghum and Hay.  Can anyone help me understand group numbers and maturity.  Such as:

SG3411

GENUITY

® ROUNDUP READY 2 YIELD®

Mid-Group III.

I assume this would be a group three but there seems to be several such as 3.3, 3.4, 3.7.

What does early, mid and late mean?  When you can plant, when you can harvest??

Appreciate any help for the newbie

[Pupdaddy]

Oftentimes (but not always) the number that the seed company chooses to designate a certain hybrid gives you a clue as to what maturity group it falls in. For example..your SG3411 probably is a 3.4 maturity soybean..and that is the middle of the pack in that maturity "range" of 3.0-4.0. Choosing which one you need is a crap shoot sometimes. You start with what your university recommends..and then make choices on what you need the soybean to do. Are you planting early? Virtually all soybeans benefit by planting early...early ones, that flower before the highest temperatures of summer benefit...and late ones who benefit from extended growth (more internodes) and flowering time. If you plant an early variety early..catch nice warm temps and get good moisture...it may get going early, and will start flowering before the heat of the summer blasts the blossoms off of it. If it stays hot and dry through the rest of the summer, it may eventually yield more in the end. It will also mature earlier so you can plant wheat or cover crops..or even sow forages behind it in the fall. On the other hand..if you have a late variety..it may overcome adverse conditions early in the growing season, take advantage of having more time to develop internodes....suck up some moisture in late August, September..and add yield almost up until it matures or is killed by frost. It's up to you what you desire...but most plant a mix of varieties to take advantage of all the opportunities they present.

[CircleJAcres]

Thanks for the help!!  I like a bigger bean so I'll look for that as well.   If planting after barley comes off first of June I guess I need to plant a late bean?

[mkrone80]

Here we harvest barley around June 15th-20th, and we will use the same soybean maturity - or slightly shorter - for double-cropping as we would for full-season soybeans.  If you are harvesting barley June 1st, then you would would have more growing season left.  You could use the same maturity soybean, or even a bit longer.  For example, if you are planting a 3.5 soybean for full-season, you could use a 3.5-3.8, or maybe even a 4.0 at the longest, for a double crop bean.  You definitely want to use an indeterminate variety for double-crop.  However, I think all varieties that are 3.0's - 4.0's are indeteminate.  I don't think you find determinate soybeans until  you get into the Group 5 beans.  (Someone correct me if I am wrong on that.) Why the difference?

Determinate soybeans will do all their vegetative growing. then stop vegetative growth, set flowers and fill pods.  Indeterminate soybeans will start to flower when a certain daylength (actually nightlength) is achieved, then they will start to set flowers and fill pods, while still adding more vegetative growth.  You want this characteristic when double-cropping.  So, you want to stay with an indeterminate variety for double-cropping. 

[Pupdaddy]

You got good advice there. I believe if I was planting after barley, I would go with a mid to late season variety for my region. The secret is getting them to mature just about the time your first frost is expected. If it's early..then you move your variety a little earlier. If it's late...because of local conditions of some kind like lake effect...then you might be able to go a little later. I wish I had a market for barley...I'd just as soon grow barley, and interplant soybeans into the standing grain in mid May. I think I could probably grow 70-90 bushel barley, and 55 bushel soybeans in the same crop year.

[CircleJAcres]

Thanks for all the advice.  This will really help when planting this spring.

Thanks again,

Richard