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Irrigation
How much water do soybeans really need each week?
Stage-by-stage water demand for beans — when the crop actually pays you back for a pass. Free from the FieldCommandCenter agronomy team.
The short answer
The often-quoted 2.1 inches per week at pod set (R3) is a worst-case ceiling, not an every-week requirement. It assumes peak evapotranspiration of 0.3″ per day — hot, dry, and windy — with zero rainfall.
A more typical peak week runs 1.4–1.75 inches, and rainfall counts toward the total.
What's in the full guide
- The full stage-by-stage soybean water-use curve, VE through R7
- Why R3–R5 is the window where water buys yield
- How to count rainfall against the weekly target
- End-of-season shutoff timing that doesn't leave bushels behind
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