WOLCOTT, Ind. — Steyer Seeds took three of the top seven yields from a soybean seed test in rural White County, Ind. this fall. The test was conducted by Farmers’ Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) on the farm of Bruce and Vernon Furrer.
Steyer hybrid 2805R2 produced a yield of more than six bushels more per acre than any other tested at this site. This hybrid generated 90.2 bushels per acre with an estimated gross income of $874 per acre. The moisture was 18.7 percent.
The soil at the Furrer farm is a silt loam that is well drained and non-irrigated. The field was high in potassium and phosphorous, and it was treated with Roundup. The previous crop was corn. Conventional fall tillage had been used.
At 15-inch spacing, the field was planted at a rate of 190,000 seeds per acre on May 26.
"On June 27, this crop had four trifoliolate leaves and unopened flower present," said F.I.R.S.T. manager Rich Schleuning. "Bean leaf beetle and Japanese beetle were feeding on the foliage. The later planting date may have helped yields as a wet August helped fill pods with good-sized beans."
Approximately 188,100 plants per acre were harvested on Oct. 25. The test average was 77.7 bushels per acre for the 54 participating hybrids. The estimated gross average for all of the hybrids was $753 per acre, and the average moisture content was 18.6 percent.
"Some empty and single bean pods were noted on plant bottoms," Schleuning said. "Harvest grain moistures were high, but suitable harvest days were few and far between."
Finishing second in this test was Armor hybrid 32-R72 at 83.9 bushels per acre. It had an estimated gross income of $813 per acre, and its moisture content was 18.3 percent. Ebberts Seeds hybrid 2345RR2 came in third with an average of 83.8 bushels per acre and an estimated $812 of gross income per acre. Its moisture content was 18.8 percent.
The other Steyer Seeds hybrids in the top seven were Steyer 3301R2, which was fourth at 83.3 bushels per acre; and Steyer 3103R2 at seventh place with 82.6 bushels per acre and an 18.9 percent moisture content.
Hybrids from Dairyland, Unity, LG Seeds, Partner Brand and Asgrow rounded out the other spots in the top 10. For a complete list of brands tested and test details, visit www.firstseedtests.com
