Is there a relation between the height of the soybean plants and the spacings between the plants?
The higher the soybean population, the taller and more spindly they grow, and the more likely they are to lodge, or fall down when the wind blows. The taller growth is apparently a response of the plants trying to get more sunlight. Our farmers in the southern US plant 120,000 to 150,000 plants per acre (43,560 square feet) when planting in May, and 150,000 to 180,000 plants per acre when planting in June. In the Midwest, with different varieties, shorter growing season, and longer days, populations are typically about 50,000 plants per acre higher. About half our soybeans are planted in May in the south, and half in June. In the Midwest, most are planted in May.
