Gourlay was sold on the idea. I wasn't sure I would get any return on my investment. Growers are sometimes given a premium to cover shortages in the market, usually from August 15 to September 15. Gourlay says last year he planted even earlier and got comparable yields, despite extremely low rainfall. I'm harvesting my soybeans when everyone is scrambling to cover the shortage.
Plants require more water during their reproductive stage.
Early planting means they'll be going through that developmental phase during the season of higher rainfall, from April through June. Drought is common in the midsouth region later in the growing season, from July through early September. That means plants sown on the conventional timetable develop pods and seeds and fill these seeds during the hot, dry months when water is scarce. Since 1992, Heatherly has been comparing yields and net returns from ESPS plantings to those from conventional plantings. Data from the 1992 through 1998 growing seasons show that ESPS soybeans outperformed conventional soybean plantings.