Sowing Date as a Factor Affecting Soybean Yield—A Case Study in Poland

Abstract

Soybean is the crop of the future, especially for countries with a high demand for food and feed protein. Therefore, soybean cultivation is moving north to countries at higher latitudes, where temperatures, photoperiodism, and rainfall distribution are not always able to meet soybean requirements. The aim of this study was to evaluate three sowing dates as a factor influencing soybean cultivars yield and seed chemical composition in agroclimatic conditions of south-western Poland. In the years 2016–2019, a field experiment was conducted in Lower Silesia region, near Wroclaw, with three sowing dates: early (mid-April), 10-day delayed (at the turn of April and May), and 20-day delayed (first half of May), and two soybean cultivars: Merlin and Lissabon. In this location, soybean sowing is recommended in mid-April, possibly at the turn of April and May. The cultivars tested differed in yield and yield component values in the years of research, but generally, the Lissabon was better suited to local conditions. Results were discussed with findings of other domestic research, to investigate the problem of the soybean sowing date in Poland. The recommended sowing date for soybean was found to vary from region to region. These differences are due to the length of the growing season in each location and the varied adaptation of cultivars to the local climatic conditions.