AsaaseYaaGrowing soybean in Ghana
When to plant, how far apart, which variety, how to feed it and which pests to watch for. The same guide the AsaaseYaa app uses to plan your soybean jobs day by day.
When to plant
| Where | Season | Months |
|---|---|---|
| South and middle belt | Season 2 | Aug – Sep |
| Northern regions | Main Season | May – Jul |
In the app, the dates follow your region, and the jobs follow the rain forecast for your farm.
Getting the land ready
- Feeding: Agricultural lime (if needed). Soybean is highly sensitive to soil acidity. Apply agricultural lime if pH is below 6 to enable effective nitrogen fixation.
- Weeds: Thorough land preparation. Good land preparation is the most effective weed management for soybean.
- Pests: Soybean is susceptible to soybean cyst nematode. Rotate with maize or cereals to break the nematode cycle.
Varieties grown in Ghana
CSIR-SARI flagship variety. High yields with inoculant, and the rotation benefit feeds your next maize crop for free.
Semi-determinate, less pod-shattering at harvest. A safer harvest in years with patchy late rains.
Promiscuous nodulating type — works even without specific inoculant (still better with one).
Bred for lowland conditions. A strong option in the forest fringes.
Care through the season
Establishment
- Feed: SSP (Single Superphosphate) + Rhizobium inoculant, 30 kg per acre. Place in furrow with seed, or broadcast at planting.
- Weed: Weed at 2–3 weeks, then at 5–6 weeks.
- Watch for: Cutworm, Termites, Bean fly. Scout daily for first 10 days.
Vegetative growth
- Feed: Foliar micronutrients (Mn, Mo, Zn), 10 kg per acre (foliar only). Foliar spray in the morning.
- Weed: Weed at 5–6 weeks.
- Watch for: Soybean aphid, Leafhopper, Spider mites, Grasshoppers. Scout twice weekly.
Flowering
- Feed: Boron foliar (0.2% solution), Foliar spray only. Spray in the morning before full sun.
- Watch for: Bean pod borer, Flower thrips. Scout every 3 days at flowering.
Grain fill
- Watch for: Pod-sucking bugs, Bean pod borer. Scout every 2–3 days.
Pests and diseases
| Pest or disease | When it shows up |
|---|---|
| Cutworm | Establishment |
| Termites | Establishment |
| Bean fly | Establishment |
| Soybean aphid | Vegetative growth |
| Leafhopper | Vegetative growth |
| Spider mites | Vegetative growth |
| Grasshoppers | Vegetative growth |
| Bean pod borer | Flowering, Grain fill |
| Flower thrips | Flowering |
| Pod-sucking bugs | Grain fill |
Tap a name to see what it looks like and what to do. In the app, tap the leaf that looks like yours to see what is wrong. All pests: pest and disease library.
Harvest and storage
It is ready when:
- 90–95% of pods have turned yellow to brown — do not wait for 100% or shattering losses increase
- Pods rattle when shaken — seeds inside are loose and dry
- Leaves have mostly fallen from the plant
- Grain moisture is 14–16% at optimum harvest
Cut plants at the base with a sickle or slash near the ground. Bundle and stack in the field for 3–5 days to complete drying. Thresh by beating bundles against a clean drum or using a thresher.
- Thresh promptly after field drying — delayed threshing increases shattering losses
- Winnow thoroughly to remove pod fragments and plant debris
- Dry grain further on tarpaulins until moisture is below 12% for storage
- Grade and remove shrivelled, cracked, or discoloured beans
Store in clean hermetic bags or metal silos at below 12% moisture. Soybean oil content makes it more susceptible to heating than maize — check temperature regularly. Do not mix with old-season grain.
What to plant next
A heavy feeder will love this soil. Post-legume window: maximum residual N for the next crop. Cereal pairing recommended; avoid legume-on-legume to keep nodulation pressure down.
General advice from crop guides for Ghana. Check important decisions with an agronomist or your district agriculture office.
Get your soybean jobs day by day
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