By DAVE BLOWER JR.
Farm World Editor

GRAND RIDGE, Ill. – A pair of NK Brand hybrids took the top two positions at a soybean seed test plot in Northern Illinois recently.
NK Brand S25-T7 won the trial with an average of 49.6 bushels per acre. This variety had a moisture content of 13.6 percent, and its estimated gross income per acre is $508.40. Finishing second was NK Brand S27-C4 at 48.9 bu. per acre.

Both hybrids finished well ahead of the average yield of 34.4 bu. per acre.

The test was conducted by Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) on the La Salle County, Ill. farm of Don and Ralph Walter. F.I.R.S.T. manager Jason Beyers planted the field on May 22 at a rate of 160,000 seeds per acre. He harvested approximately 130,600 plants per acre on Oct. 21.

“Extreme white mold pressure devastated some of these varieties,” Beyers said. “The Walter brothers called me in late August and stated that the plot smelled like silage out by the road.”

However, the mold may not have affected all of the hybrids the same.

“It appears at this location, just by looking at the data, that most of the early maturity varieties were not affected as much as the fuller season varieties,” Beyers reported.

The Walters’ farm has Drummer silty clay loam soil. The field was moderately well drained and non-irrigated. The previous crop was corn treated with Balance Pro, Keystone and Callisto. The pest management used on the soybean crop included Extreme, Glyfos, Stratego and Leverage.

Other top finishers in this soybean seed trial were: Deiner 2421CR2, 48.4 bu. per acre; Asgrow AG2406, 47.4 bu. per acre; and Beck’s XL-244NR, 45.1 bu. per acre.

There were 54 hybrids tested at this location.
A list of all the hybrids in this test is available at www.firstseedtests.com