By DAVE BLOWER JR.
Farm World Editor

NEW PARIS, Ind. — Despite delayed planting due to an excessively wet spring, yields at a pair of soybean seed tests sites were better than expected.

The tests in Elkhart County, Ind. and Hardin County, Ohio were conducted by Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) earlier this harvest season.

On the New Paris, Ind. farm of Justin Miller, F.I.R.S.T. manager Rich Sch-leuning planted on May 30 at a rate of 175,000 seeds per acre.

He harvested approximately 132,100 plants per acre on Oct. 20.
The 36 varieties at this test averaged 52.3 bushels per acre with a moisture content of 17.1 percent. The hybrids had an estimated gross income per acre of $496.50.

“The wet spring delayed planting until late May,” Schleuning said. “Rainfall was lacking during the month of July. Considering the growing conditions this year, overall soybean yields were very good.”

Winning the New Paris, Ind. soybean seed trial was Ebberts hybrid RR2350 at 62.7 bu. per acre. This variety had a moisture content of 17 percent, and its had an estimated gross income per acre of $595.70. Finishing second was Stewart 3177R2 at 62.1 bu. per acre.
The Miller farm has a Crosier loam soil. The field was non-irrigated and well drained. The previous crop on the field was corn treated with Balance and Lumax. This pest management this year included Canopy and Roundup.

The third place hybrid was Beck XL-322NR at 59.6 bu. per acre. Two Diener products, 3261CR2 and 3131CR2, finished fourth and fifth with 58.5 and 58.0 bu. per acre results, respectively.

Dunkirk, Ohio soybean test

At the Dunkirk, Ohio farm of Jerry McBride, the average yield for the 24 hybrids tested was 67.2 bu. per acre. The average moisture content was 14 percent, and the estimated gross income per acre was $638.30.

These numbers, according to F.I.R.S.T., were unexpected due to the poor growing conditions at planting. Schleuning planted the field on June 5 at a rate of 125,000 seeds per acre. He harvested approximately 94,800 plants per acre on Oct. 19.

“Due to a wet spring to a dry July and first half of August, that gave a person little hope for a good crop,” Schleuning explained. “Then the August rains came along and made this site produce and mature properly for high yields.”

Four hybrids exceeded 70 bu. per acre. Steyer Seeds took three of those top four positions at this trial.

Steyer 3001RR won the test with an average of 73.5 bu. per acre. This variety had a moisture content of 13.8 percent. Finishing second was Steyer 2801RR with an average yield of 71.8 bu. acre. Steyer 3402RR took fourth place at 71.1 bu. per acre.

Squeezing in third place was iCorn.com hybrid 2.960R2 with an average yield per acre of 71.2 bu.

The soil on McBride’s farm is a silty clay loam. His field is non-irrigated and well drained. The previous crop was corn treated with Princep. This year’s pest management plan was Roundup.
A list of all the hybrids in this test is available at www.firstseedtests.com