By DAVE BLOWER JR.
Farm World Editor

BLOOMDALE, Ohio — Rain at the wrong time followed by long periods of dry weather adversely affected soybean yields at the northwestern Ohio trial site in Bloomdale.

The average yield per acre was 37.2 bushels for the 24 varieties that were tested. The average moisture level was 13.8 percent, and the estimated gross income per acre was $353.50.

The test was conducted by Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) earlier this harvest season. F.I.R.S.T. manager Rich Schleuning said this year’s weather was too much to overcome.

“This was a tough year for this location,” Schleuning explained. “It went from too wet in the spring into dry conditions for July, August and September.”

Steyer Seed hybrid 3402RR won the test site with an average yield of 47.1 bu. per acre. It’s moisture content was 12.9 percent. Finishing second was iCorn.com hybrid 2.960R2 at 45.3 bu. per acre. Stewart Seeds was third and fifth with yields of 44.4 (2877R2) and 41 (3111R2) bu. per acre.

Ebberts hybrid RR2340 was fourth at 41.7 bu. per acre.
The test was on the Wood County, Ohio farm of Larry Bishop. The soil was clay. The no-till field was non-irrigated and moderately drained.

The pest management products were Domain and Sonic. The previous crop on this field was corn, and the field had been treated with Lexar last year.

Schleuning planted the field on June 2 at a rate of 125,000 seeds per acre. On Oct. 20, he harvested 94,100 plants per acre.

“The overall plot appearance looked good,” Schleuning said.
“However, the dry conditions created a lot of fodder and little grain. These conditions created above normal yield variability, as well.”
A list of all the hybrids in this test is available at www.firstseedtests.com

For more information about the seed trials visit www.farmworldonline.com