BLOOMDALE, Ohio — Specialty edged out LG Seeds for the top yield spot in a 2012 Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) Better Varieties all-season soybean test on the Larry Bishop farm in Wood County.

Bishop’s farm is clay loam, well-drained and non-irrigated, with moderate phosphorous and potassium, 3 percent organic matter and a soil pH of 6.5. The plots were planted in 30-inch rows on May 24 at 150,000 seeds per acre, with no till, and harvested Oct. 25 at 104,500 plants per acre.

The test plots followed corn treated with Surestart. Bishop used Roundup, Quadris and Warrior for pest management on his Bloomdale farm.

“This test farm went through some very dry conditions,” said Rick Schleuning, F.I.R.S.T site manager. “Larry said a foliar application of Quadris, Warrior and 9-18-9 really turned the crop around. He had rain in late August, which helped put on bushels.”

Schleuning said the plants at this site were 40 inches tall, with six pods per node and one-inch node spacing.

“That height really delivered the yield,” he said. “Larry was very pleased because he had soybean yields averaging in the mid-70 bushels per acre.”

Specialty variety 3494CR2 topped the list with an average of 64.1 bushels per acre at 21.3 percent moisture and a gross profit of $983 per acre. This yield was just ahead of LG Seeds variety C3399R2, which averaged 63.8 bushels per acre at 21.2 percent moisture and a gross income of $978.

Pioneer 93Y40 grabbed the third-place slot with an average of 63 bushels per acre, at 21.5 percent moisture and a gross profit of $966 per acre. Rounding out the top 10 varieties in the test were LG Seeds C3111R2, Ebberts 2300RR2, NK Brand S30-E9, Ebberts 2313RR2, LG Seeds C3220R2, Steyer 2702R2 and Burtch Seed Co 363R2.

Yields for these seven varieties ranged from 59.7-62 bushels per acre, with moisture levels ranging from 21-21.3 percent. Gross income ranged from $916-$951.

Farms to host 2013 F.I.R.S.T. test plots are now being selected. To obtain a corn and/or soybean application, contact General Manager Joe Bruce by email at joe.bruce@firstseedtests.com

Complete corn applications are due by Feb. 15, and soybean applications must be in by March 1.