By DAVE BLOWER JR.
Farm World Editor

DUNKIRK, Ohio — Midwest Seed earned the highest marks in a soybean hybrid test in Northwestern Ohio recently.

The test, conducted by Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.), was on the Hardin County, Ohio farm of Jerry McBride. The field had a clay loam soil with a 1 percent slope. The site was well drained. The previous crop on the site was no-till wheat treated with Roundup.

Midwest Seed hybrid GR3033 earned an average of 40.4 bushels per acre. The hybrid had an estimated gross income of $444.90 per acre, and it had a moisture level of only 9.8 percent.

F.I.R.S.T. manager Rich Schleuning reported that the planting on this location was late due to wet weather. He planted the field on June 9 at a rate of 130,000 seeds per acre, and he harvested approximately 115,300 plants per acre on Nov. 1.

“The late planting date was due to excessive rain this spring,” Schleuning explained. “The delayed planting and dry conditions in July and August hurt this location. The bean height was 12 to 18 inches tall.”

There were a total of 24 hybrids participating in this test plot, and the average yield was 32.4 bu./acre.

Other top yields at this location were: Ebberts Field 1279RR, 38.7 bu./acre with a moisture level of 9.8 percent; Ebberts Field 1368RR, 37.6 bu./acre with a moisture level of 10 percent; iCORN.com 2.850, 36.7 bu./acre with a moisture level of 10.1 percent; and Becks 307NRR, 36.5 bu./acre with a moisture level of 10.2 percent.

A list of all the varieties in this test are available at www.firstseedtests.com