David Moseley, LSU AgCenter Soybean Specialist

The initial planting for a soybean date of planting by population trial at the Dean Lee Research and Extension Center occurred on March 3, 2026. On March 17, 2026, a freeze event resulted in damage to the unifoliate leaves and apical meristem (the primary growing point) of the main stem. However, by March 23, 2026, most plants exhibited axillary branch development originating from the cotyledon node. Provided these axillary branches continue to develop, it is likely that the affected plants will not experience yield loss as a result of the freeze. It was observed that the plants in the first two rows of the field appeared to not survive the freeze. The first planting progress report from USDA-NASS was for the week ending on March 22, 2026, and only 1% of the Louisiana soybean crop had been planted.

Figure 1. (Top left) Healthy soybean plants on March 16, 2026. (Top right) Damaged unifoliate leaves on March 17, 2026. (Bottom left) Damaged unifoliate leaves and apical meristems on March 19, 2026. (Bottom right) Axillary branches beginning to form on March 23, 2026.

Figure 2. The plants in the first two rows of the field did not show signs of recovery on March 23, 2026.

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Should you need any ADA accommodations, please contact David Moseley at 479-466-0457 no later the 10 days prior to the event.