Soybean Plant Populations Soybean Plant Population vs Yield Soybeans are an interesting crop for several reasons. They grow very well in southeastern Michigan.
Costs of production are low in comparison to corn, and yields are very consistent.
Consistent yields are largely due to the soybean plant s ability to compensate for differences in spacing. Missing plants are compensated for by increased branching and pod development. We conducted two studies to see how much production costs can be lowered through reduced seeding rates without hurting yield. The results were so good that most farmers are reluctant to accept them. Our results match results from studies in Monroe County, and other studies from Purdue University.