ANKENY, Iowa (DTN) ‘Twas two weeks before Christmas, when all through the shed, Ryan Nell stirred to plant soybeans in a good seedbed.
His planter and tractor were parked with care, when the roar of Nell’s diesel filled the air.
While some think it crazy to plant beans in December, ’tis research results the farmer will remember.
TESTING COLD TOLERANCE
“We have no idea what soybeans can really do, what they can handle,” said Nell, who is part of a 2,200-acre family farm near Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. The idea is to safely push the limits of early planting, he added, which could increase production and revenue.