HOWE, Ind. — Although plant height and pod fill was variable in one soybean hybrids test by Farmers’ Independent Research of Seed Technologies (FIRST) trial in northern Indiana, yields were favorable.

According to Site Test Manager Rich Schleuning, the soybean plant height ranged from 20-37 inches tall. "Early-season stress was evident at this sandy site," he reported.

He explained plant internodes were short halfway up the plant and lower pods on the plants contained only 1-2 beans, with some pods being empty.

"Despite this stress, yield turned out great," he said.

Forty-five soybean hybrids were compared on John Larimer’s LaGrange County farm in Howe. In the all-season field test, NK Brand S32-L8 yielded 78 bushels per acre, with the largest gross income of $702 per acre.

Asgrow AG2636 and Dairyland DSR-3250/R2Y followed closely, with 77.7 and 77.2 bushels per acre, respectively. Asgrow earned $699 and Dairyland brought in $695 in gross income per acre.

Channel 3009R2 and Partners Brand PB 3415R2 rounded out the top five with yields of 76.6 and 76.5 bushels per acre, respectively. They tied for gross income at $689 per bushel.

The test average for all 45 varieties was 69.8 bushels, and the average gross income was $628. Average moisture was 11.8 percent and lodging averaged just 2 percent.

The previous crop was corn treated with Lumax and glyphosate. This year’s crop was no-till on the sandy loam, well-drained field, and irrigation was used.

The crop was planted on May 21 at a rate of 180,000 seeds per acre with 15-inch spacing. It was harvested on Oct. 12 at 157,400 plants per acre.