This episode of Red Dirt and Round Bales takes listeners into one of Oklahoma agriculture’s quieter stories: soybeans. Dave Deken explains why soybeans may not dominate the state the way wheat and cattle do, but they still play an important role in crop rotations, double-crop systems, and farm income across the state. The episode looks at why Oklahoma soybean production lives “on the edge of rain,” especially as fields move west into hotter, drier country. From wheat stubble and double-crop timing to stink bugs, weeds, feral hogs, and late-season weather risk, this episode gives rural listeners a practical look at how Oklahoma farmers make soybeans work when the season only leaves the door cracked open.
Soybeans may be one of Oklahoma agriculture’s quieter crops, but they carry a lot of risk, timing, and opportunity for farmers willing to work with the season.
In this episode of Red Dirt and Round Bales, Dave Deken looks at how soybeans fit into Oklahoma’s farm country, especially behind wheat in double-crop systems. The episode explains why soybeans are different here than in the I-states, how heat and rain shape production decisions, and why practical research on planting dates, maturity groups, weeds, insects, and feral hog damage matters to Oklahoma producers.
Key takeaways:
Detailed timestamped rundown
00:00–01:05 — Oklahoma’s overlooked soybean story
Dave opens by framing Oklahoma as wheat, cattle, and red dirt country, then introduces soybeans as a quieter crop with an important place in the state’s agricultural story.
01:06–01:44 — Farming on the western edge
The episode explains that Oklahoma sits on the western side of traditional soybean country, where producers must weigh moisture, heat, timing, and cost more carefully than in the central Corn Belt.
01:45–02:11 — Soybeans in perspective
Dave notes that soybeans are a real crop in Oklahoma, but they sit behind winter wheat in scale and visibility.
02:12–02:51 — Double-cropping after wheat
The episode explains double cropping in plain terms: wheat is planted in the fall, harvested in late spring or early summer, and soybeans are planted into the wheat stubble soon after.
02:53–03:51 — The opportunity and risk of double-crop beans
Double-crop soybeans can help Oklahoma farmers use a wheat system while still chasing a summer crop, but later planting shortens the growing season and puts more pressure on late-summer and early-fall weather.
03:52–04:16 — Weather can humble a crop
Dave uses 2021 as an example of a year when weather disrupted soybean development and reduced yield expectations.
04:17–04:52 — Field-level challenges
The episode turns to practical soybean problems, including weeds, insects, stink bugs, and feral hogs that can damage fields.
04:53–05:22 — Practical research for real farms
Soybean research in Oklahoma is described as “fence row agriculture,” focused on real problems farmers face: weed control, planting dates, maturity groups, double-crop management, and feral swine control.
05:24–06:05 — Where soybeans fit
Soybeans are shown as part of a larger farm plan: behind wheat, in rotations, in river bottoms, and in fields that can hold enough moisture.
06:06–06:39 — A crop built for uncertainty
Dave explains the biological and economic value of soybeans, from nitrogen-fixing roots to protein, oil, feed, fuel, and income.
06:40–07:15 — Closing reflection
The episode closes by describing soybeans as a steady crop that survives in Oklahoma because farmers are practical, watchful, and willing to take a chance when the season allows it.