Soybean Planting Date Windows For Northeast, Central, And Southwest Louisiana
DR. DAVID O. MOSELEY
ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA
Article Highlights
- Optimum soybean planting windows differ among the Northeast, Central, and Southwest regions of Louisiana.
- Producers can maintain near-maximum yield potential and reduce weather-related risk by planting soybeans within the 95% or 99% yield window.
Data from soybean trials conducted from 2013 through 2020 in the Northeast, Central, and Southwest regions of Louisiana were used to determine optimum planting windows by region and, when possible, by maturity group (Table 1).
Table 1. Optimum soybean planting windows for Northeast, Central, and Southwest Louisiana.
|
Region (MG)1
|
95% Yield Window (Early PD2)
|
99% Yield Window (Early PD3)
|
PD for Predicted Peak Yield4
|
95% Yield Window (Late PD2)
|
99% Yield Window (Late PD3)
|
|
Northeast All MGs
|
Mar 06
|
Mar 24
|
Apr 07
|
May 09
|
Apr 21
|
|
Central 3.0-4.4
|
Apr 05
|
Apr 15
|
Apr 22
|
May 08
|
Apr 29
|
|
Central 4.5-4.7
|
Mar 21
|
Apr 02
|
Apr 12
|
May 03
|
Apr 21
|
|
Central 4.8-4.9
|
Mar 31
|
Apr 11
|
Apr 19
|
May 08
|
Apr 27
|
|
Central 5.4-6.0
|
Apr 15
|
Apr 24
|
May 01
|
May 16
|
May 07
|
|
Southwest 3.0-4.4
|
May 13
|
May 21
|
May 27
|
Jun 10
|
Jun 02
|
|
Southwest 4.5-4.7
|
May 06
|
May 14
|
May 19
|
Jun 01
|
May 25
|
|
Southwest 4.8-4.9
|
May 03
|
May 12
|
May 18
|
Jun 02
|
May 24
|
|
Southwest 5.0-5.3
|
Apr 26
|
May 04
|
May 10
|
May 24
|
May 16
|
|
Southwest 5.4-6.0
|
Apr 27
|
May 05
|
May 12
|
May 26
|
May 18
|
1The Louisiana region where data points were collected and the maturity group (MG).
295% yield window is the planting-date range where predicted yield is ≥95% of peak.
399% yield window is the planting-date range where predicted yield is ≥99% of peak.
4The planting date for the predicted peak yield.
Northeast Region
The planting window to achieve at least 95% of yield potential in the Northeast region ranged from March 6 through May 9, with a predicted peak yield occurring on April 7.
Central Region
Depending on maturity group, the planting window to achieve at least 95% of yield potential in the Central region ranged from March 21 through May 16, with predicted peak yield dates occurring between April 12 and May 1.
Southwest Region
Depending on maturity group, the planting window to achieve at least 95% of yield potential in the Southwest region ranged from April 26 through June 10, with predicted peak yield dates occurring between May 10 and May 27.
Year-to-Year Environmental Differences
The amount of yield loss associated with planting earlier or later than the optimum timing depends heavily on environmental conditions during the growing season. April has traditionally been considered the ideal soybean planting window in Louisiana; however, recent years have challenged this assumption.
In both 2022 and 2024, high-yielding soybeans planted in April experienced severe damage due to prolonged rainfall events during the maturation period. These early-planted fields were particularly vulnerable because they reached maturity during peak rainfall, resulting in widespread crop losses. In 2025, soybeans planted in late March and early April flowered prematurely and exhibited reduced plant height, possibly due to persistent cloudy and rainy conditions during early vegetative growth. A susceptible variety planted at the Dean Lee Research and Extension Center during this period developed severe Cercospora leaf blight, resulting in little to no seed production.
Conversely, in 2023, statewide soybean yields were approximately 14% below the 10‑year average, largely due to heat and drought stress during seed fill. In that year, soybeans planted in May were more susceptible to yield loss than those planted in April.
These observations suggest that three of the last four years (2022–2025) featured conditions where May or June planting dates may have reduced risk compared with April planting. Evaluating later planting windows is therefore important not only for risk management but also for assessing opportunities such as double cropping with wheat or canola, which could improve farm profitability if late-planted soybean remains viable.
Decreasing Risk Through Planting Date Management
Implementing staggered planting dates is one strategy to mitigate the risk of severe weather-related damage. Table 1 indicates that planting soybeans within the recommended window in each region yields at least 95% of the optimal potential.
Planting in March does carry an increased risk of freeze damage. Maps from the National Centers for Environmental Information indicate that some areas of north Louisiana can experience their last spring freeze between March 16 and March 30. Producers considering early planting should weigh freeze risk alongside potential yield benefits.
Additional information can be found in the Moseley et al. (2024) article and in a Science for Success factsheet called The Best Soybean Planting Date. ∆
DR. DAVID O. MOSELEY
LSU AGCENTER