STARKVILLE, Miss. ( WJTV ) – Harvest will begin as soon as early August for soybeans in Mississippi. This is the state’s largest row crop.

According to the Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service, this year’s crop is overall in good shape heading into the last weeks of its growing season. However, prices are poor with supply and demand working to push prices even lower.

Officials said soybeans benefitted from a slightly earlier start than usual, and disease and insect pressures have been fairly typical for the Mississippi summer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated 17% of the crop was in excellent condition, 48% in good condition and 29% fair. The remaining 5% was poor and 1% looked very poor as of July 28.

Trent Irby, an associate director with the MSU Extension Service and the former state soybean specialist, said depending on the area, the crop is mostly in good shape.

“We are fortunate to have a lot of acres with irrigation capabilities, so those acres, up to this point, look to have a lot of potential,” stated Irby. “Other areas of the state where irrigation is limited have experienced varying weather conditions, so it is still too early to tell on some of those.”

This year, Mississippi growers planted about 2.25 million acres of soybean. Since then, a hot and dry July decreased yield potential in places, especially those areas that didn’t benefit from scattered rains that occurred during the month.

Irby said there have been no unexpected challenges to the crop across the state this year, but that could change quickly.

“We are entering a season of the year where dry conditions along with insect or disease issues can quickly change our overall yield potential,” he said.

In Mississippi, soybean harvest typically is complete by late fall to early winter.

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