Estimating Soybean Yields Prior to Harvest

Remember that soybean yields are best estimated only three weeks prior to harvest.

1. Determine the number of feet of row needed to make 1/1000 of an acre.

2. Count the number of plants in ten different, randomly selected sample areas (for example if you had 20" rows, count the number of plants down a row for 26’ 2" at ten different locations in the field). Calculate the average of these counts.
Average=_____=A

3. Next, count the number of pods per plant on ten, randomly selected plants from each sample area. Calculate the average.
Average=_____=B

4. Now, calculate the pods per acre by multiplying plant population by pods per plant.
A*B=_____=C

5. Calculate the seeds per acre by multiplying the pods per acre by an estimate of 2.5 seeds per pod (or determine the common pod load within your field).
2.5*C=_____=D

6. Calculate the pounds per acre by dividing the seeds per acre by an estimate of 2500 seeds per pound (or figure the average number of seeds per pound based on the average for the variety you are growing).
D/2500=_____=E