BLOOMDALE, Ohio — Ebberts Field Seeds was king of a northwestern Ohio soybean test plot last year, its varieties snagging three of the top four spots for yield in the Farmers’ Independent Research of Seed Technologies (FIRST) test on a Bloomdale farm.

Larry Bishop, owner of the Wood County farm hosting the test, told FIRST Site Manager Rich Schleuning he was pleased with his 2014 field averages. The test site, which previously grew corn treated with SureStart herbicide, consisted of moderately well-drained, non-irrigated clay containing moderate P and K with a pH of 6.5.

The 30 tested varieties were planted June 14 at a rate of 140,000 seeds per acre, and harvested Nov. 7 at a stand of 100,300 plants per acre. Despite the losses, Schleuning explained the stand was uniform at harvest time. Because of some ponding from heavy rain, a few pockets in the test site revealed plants shortened by as much as 4-6 inches.

But this didn’t affect yield; the site’s top producer, FS Hisoy variety HS 29A42, put out a respectable 73.9 bushels per acre, with a gross income per acre of $735. Schleuning said a plant can compensate for loss of height by setting the bean nodes closer together, thereby producing as well as a taller stalk.

"Good overall plant health, bean size and bean color," is how he described the trial site, adding Bishop’s farm does have an advantage in that it drains excess water relatively well.

Ebberts varieties took the second, third and fourth yield spots on the test. Variety 2364RR2 produced 72.2 bushels and an income of $718 per acre; 2305RR2 yielded 70.5 bushels and $701; and variety 2313RR2 produced 69.9 bushels with an income of $695 per acre.

Schleuning viewed Ebberts’ success in stride. "As far as one particular company having that many products show up that particular way, it happens once in a while," he noted.

The average for all 30 varieties tested was a yield of 68.5 bushels per acre, with 15.8 percent moisture and a gross income of $681 per acre.