EVERY YEAR is a different production experience for soybean producers in northwest Oklahoma. To say the least, this year has been one for evaluating heat and moisture stress on soybeans. 

While there are questions of whether or not the beans will continue to flower, set pods, and fill the pods, research with this crop continues at the North Central Oklahoma Research Station at Lahoma.  Currently under evaluation are maturity group variety trials, plant population, and row spacing studies and crop rotation experiments.  Drs. Lewis Edwards and Kent Keim, with the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, have been evaluating the soybean crop with Dr. Ray Sidwell, station superintendent.  Also working with Edwards in his evaluation is Dr. Ron Scholar, OCES soybean specialist.

To help producers answer questions about their soybean crop and to look at the research efforts being evaluated at the station, a North Central Oklahoma Experiment Station soybean tour has been planned.  Producers interested in participating in the tour should mark their calendars for Wednesday, August 5.  The tour will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 11:45 a.m.  The group will meet to the west of the North Central Research Station headquarters west of Lahoma on Highway 412.

Edwards, Keim, and Sidwell will review their research initiative and Scholar will evaluate the stresses on the soybean plant this year and evaluate the crops potential.  Also on the program for those who are faced with the decisions of whether to hay or graze their soybeans will be Greg Highfill, OCES area livestock specialist, and Roger Gribble, OCES area agronomist.  Questions about the tour can be addressed at the Garfield County Extension Center at 580-237-7677.