WINDFALL, Ind. — “A late bloomer” might be the best way to describe the progress of a soybean test plot at the Tipton County farm of Steve Pierce this season.

The plot, managed by Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies, or F.I.R.S.T., was seeded May 6 at a rate of 170,000 per acre and 98,400 plants per acre were harvested on Oct. 11. Forty-five varieties of seed were tested on Pierce’s farm; the plot site, previously planted to corn, was sandy clay loam, non-irrigated and well-drained, with high P and K content and a soil acidity of 6.5.

The top performer in this test was Seed Consultants with variety SCS 9362RR, which yielded 71.7 bushels per acre and a gross income of $1,109 per acre. Coming in second was Asgrow variety AG3832 with a yield of 68.1 and a per-acre gross of $1,054.

Third was Specialty 3200CR2, which yielded 67.7 bushels per acre and had a gross income of $1,048 per acre. Fourth was Stine 37RC82 with a yield of 66.6 and an income of $1,031 per acre.

The yield average for all varieties tested was 62.9 bushels per acre, and average gross income came out to $973 per acre. F.I.R.S.T. Test Site Manager Rich Schleuning reported the final plant stands were reduced because of lack of soil moisture at planting, for germination.

“The August rains made for some good bean quality and bean size” however, he added. “Plant health was good, with light lodging, as the crop elongated with the late-season moisture. Plant height ranged from 34 to 45 inches tall.”

For more details on top-yielders, consult the chart on this page, and for even more information and a searchable database, visit www.firstseedtests.com