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Know When Soybeans Reach Harvest Maturity
Harvest maturity is the point when beans can be combined with minimum of field loss or bean damage. At this point, beans are 13 to 14 percent moisture, and maturity is not always related to pod color. Growers and researchers over the years have tried color keys of yellow leaves, yellow pods, and brown pods to estimate maturity. Usually preciseness was lacking, as varieties will differ in color codes or symptoms regarding physiological maturity.
Studies in other states have reported that yellow pods sprinkled with brown are the best visual clue of physiological maturity. Open pods to check on shrinking of the beans and separation of the beans from the white membrane inside the pod. This indicates the soybeans are at physiological maturity and fairly safe from frost damage. All pods don't mature evenly. A spread of 10- 12 days between earliest-maturing and latest-maturing pods is evident in most soybean varieties in our area. Pods usually will turn brown four to eight days after reaching physiological maturity. Usually harvest follows about two weeks after soybeans reach physiological maturity.
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