Achieving High-Yield Soybeans

Want to reach over 100 bu/A soybean yields next season? Get management tips and learn how new Pioneer^® brand Z-Series soybeans are pushing the envelope.

Pioneer Z-series products field sign - next to soybean field - midseason

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Five Questions Before Next Season

Going for 100+ bu/A soybeans? We asked Pioneer field agronomist Kevin Kowalski five important questions growers should know before the 2026 growing season.

High-yielding soybean success starts at the foundation – genetics. Selecting Pioneer^® brand Z-Series soybeans gives you some of the best top performing varieties with elite genetics not found in other bags.

These high-yielding, elite genetics help reduce risk on the farm by providing protection against yield robbing pests and diseases.

I also look for varieties that have high yield potential by studying plots across a broad geography in multiple years searching for two to three that also match my area to give me the best opportunity to maximize yield.

Our soybean breeding engine is one of our best assets at Pioneer. Whether you are planting conventional or traited soybeans, we continue to make gains to many disease tolerances. You will find ratings across all key soybean diseases to help with seed selection to protect your yield.

We also have the most advanced and flexible herbicide trait for soybeans on the market – Enlist E3^® soybeans. Herbicide resistant weeds are a struggle every year and having a system that is flexible and helps provide an herbicide program with multiple modes of action is beneficial for growers.

There are plenty of agronomics one needs to consider for higher yielding soybeans. Harvest standability is one of the most critical. Typically, soybeans that lodge in the fall will get disease, resulting in lost yield from the disease or your combine header won’t be able to pull them into the combine.

Knowing your field history for diseases and soil types will help you look for the right agronomics in a soybean.

Plant early – this allows for more branches and nodes per plant to help increase yield. When Pioneer researchers looked at the most trial locations that broke 100 bu/A from 2021-2023, they found that the majority were planted in the last half of April through the first half of May.

Always use LumiGEN^® seed treatments to protect from early season diseases.
Review last year’s corn yields – did you leave enough fertilizer out there to raise 100 bu/A soybeans? A lot of times we have better than expected corn yields that potentially utilize the Phosphorus and Potassium we were counting on utilizing the next year for our soybeans. For this reason, I recommend doing a soil test.
Consider a timely harvest and plant different maturity groups to minimize harvest losses due to head shatter and soybeans getting too dry.

Rates have trended lower in recent years, but research and weigh checks over 100 bu/A has indicated that optimum rates are around 140,000 seeds per acre. We also like to increase seeding rates in less productive environments. Consider your unique circumstances ahead of planting.

Congratulations to all the Pioneer^® brand soybean farmers who harvested over 100 bu/A this season!

Congratulations to all the Pioneer brand soybean farmers who harvested over 100 bu per acre this season

In 2025, 227 locations achieved over 100 bu/A yields with Pioneer^® brand soybean varieties.

Hear from Pioneer Agronomists

Increasing Soybean Yields Without Spending Extra | Advice from Pioneer® Seeds

In this video, Troy Deutmeyer, a Pioneer® agronomist in Northeast Iowa, shares practical tips to maximize soybean yields without spending extra. 🚜 Among others key strategies include: ✅ Planting early – Right after the crop insurance date (April 15th) for consistent yield benefits. ✅ Using fuller-season soybean varieties – Can add several bushels per acre, especially with later planting.

Increasing Soybean Yields Without Spending Extra | Advice from Pioneer® Seeds

How soybeans benefit with LumiGEN® seed treatments

LumiGEN^® seed treatments protect your investment with best-in-class seed treatment. You can plant with confidence knowing your seeds and seedlings have advanced protection against pests, disease and uncertain soil conditions during the critical early growth period.

How soybeans benefit with LumiGEN® seed treatments

Soybean Planting Date Trial Plot

Throughout each season, growers do their best to get the most yield out of each crop. Planting date can play a role in yield. Jason Rudick, Pioneer Field Agronomist, is in a soybean trial plot that was planted on various dates in the spring. The plot allows us to measure GDUs throughout the crop's lifecycle, and better measure a potential yield advantage during harvest.

Soybean Planting Date Trial Plot

Delayed Soybean Planting and Maximizing Yield

With many growers still unable to plant their soybean crop, Eric Rice, Pioneer Field Agronomist, offers advice and words of encouragement for growers worried about late-planted soybeans.

Delayed Soybean Planting and Maximizing Yield

With many growers still unable to plant their soybean crop, Eric Rice, Pioneer Field Agronomist, offers advice and words of encouragement for growers worried about late-planted soybeans.

Managing Iron Deficiency Chlorosis in Soybeans

Pioneer Field Agronomist Eric Rice discusses soybean iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) in soybeans and the Pioneer^® brand soybean varieties that are tested and rated for IDC tolerance.

Managing Iron Deficiency Chlorosis in Soybeans

Pioneer Field Agronomist Eric Rice discusses soybean iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) in soybeans and the Pioneer^® brand soybean varieties that are tested and rated for IDC tolerance.

Increasing Soybean Yields Without Spending Extra | Advice from Pioneer® Seeds