Rolling soybean fields at or just after planting can be most efficient, but planting conditions aren’t always exactly rolling-friendly. The good news is there is still time to roll long after seeding, with one very specific no-go window.
But first, do you have to roll? That’s the question RealAgriculture.com put to Dennis Lange, farm production advisor with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, based at Altona, Man. The answer is, it depends. It depends on your field, and, most importantly, whether or not rocks are an issue. Rolling does set up the field for a smooth harvest, Lange says, but there are times when rolling may cause more damage than benefit.
In this Soybean School West episode, Lange covers what those field conditions are, and explains the various growth stages where it is perfectly safe to roll, plus the one stage — the hook stage — when it most certainly is not.