Green soybean fields in Manitoba need a couple more weeks of warm weather to bring them to physiological maturity.

Some crops are already yellowing and starting to turn brown, but hail damage throughout the growing season may be delaying maturity. Kristin Podolsky, production specialist for Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers, says there is concern especially for fields hit by hail in July.

"We may see some shorter crops that are set back a little bit. So just keeping an eye on maturity, we may even see some variable maturity within the field and pods closer to the ground," she says. "The other thing is in the areas that have had good moisture, we're seeing very tall beans with lots of vegetative growth. And last week's storm brought fairly heavy winds so we're starting to see some lodging, which could have some implications for harvest."

The rain that's come with the storms, however, has been good for yield potential in some fields. Podolsky says now is the time to be checking for yield, and suggests using the new mobile app through Manitoba Pulse.

"Growers and agronomists [can] plug in things like pods per plant, seeds per pod, and estimate soybean yield," she says. "On average I'm seeing anywhere from 20 to 30 pods per plant, but that's going to be quite variable."

Podolsky says when soybean fields turn yellow with at least one brown pod on the main stems of plants, the crop has reached physiological maturity. When they reach this stage, they're safe from frost, and about two weeks away from harvest.