Manny Piñol
A new Soybeans variety from India which is undergoing field trials in my farm in Kidapawan City is showing indications of early maturity with over one half of those planted Jan. 2 this year ready for harvest at 86 days old.
Soybeans ordinarily mature at 100 to 130 daysand the early maturity of the Indian Soybeans could have been influenced by the long dry spell which has stretched for almost one month now in Kidapawan City and surrounding areas.
So, while Catholic tradition says the faithful. should refrain from any activity during the Holy Week, I had to undertake the selective harvest of our Soybeans today because the pods are already starting to pop the seeds out.
Half of the Soybeans has to be left in the trial plots because it still has some green beanpods which I expect would mature in another week.
Early maturity of crops could be a good characteristic of plants as it allows farmers to plant the next crop in the rotational cropping system which we are promoting now.
Under abnormal conditions, however, early ripening of the fruits could also be an indication that the plants reacted to the stress caused by the long drought.
So, in our next planting cycle, we will again observe the maturity period of this variety of Soybeans to determine whether its early maturing characteristic is consistent.