Soybean Production

Pawel Wiatrak

Soybean is one of the major row crops in the United States. According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, the acreage of planted soybeans increased in the U.S. from about 64.2 million acres in 1996 to 75.9 million acres in 2008. The soybean production also increased from 2.38 to 3.2 billion bushels from 1996 to 2006 in the U.S. In 2007 and 2008, the soybean production was estimated at 2.7 and 2.9 billion bushels, respectively. In South Carolina, the acreage of planted soybean ranged from about 560 thousand acres in 1996 to 540 thousand acres in 2008. Table 1 shows the South Carolina soybean production by county in 2007.

The highest estimated acreage was for Florence, Darlington, Clarendon, Lee, Dillon, Williamsburg, Horry, Orangeburg, Sumter, and Marlboro Counties, which accounted for about 75.7% of total planted soybeans in the State in 2008. The highest soybean yields were recorded for Orangeburg, Lee, and Georgetown Counties, and ranged from 41 to 38 Bu/acre. The State average yield was estimated at 32 Bu/acre for 2008.

Page maintained by: Pawel Wiatrak, pwiatra@clemson.edu