Varieties for 2010

Variety selection is one of the most important factors effecting profitability in soybean production.

After attending Commodity Classic in Anaheim March 4-6, it's obvious that there has never been more competition for your seed dollars. This is a good thing, as technology and innovation are also at an all-time high.

If you are still considering varieties for this year, review the 2009 Kentucky Soybean Performance Tests for assistance in making these decisions. A variety of sources should be used to make varietal decisions. Depending on your location within the state, variety test results from the following locations may also be beneficial. Note that most are broken into regions, making those regions closest to Kentucky most applicable to our operations.


University of Missouri Variety Testing Program

University of Tennessee Agronomic Variety Trials

Purdue Crop Performance Program

Soybean Variety Test Results in Illinois

Webcasts for soybean Production

The United Soybean Board website is now offering free webcasts highlighting several aspects of soybean production in the United States.

These webcasts are very informative. Currently available for view/listen are:

How to Maximize Soybean Yield - Palle Pedersen, Iowa State University

Principles of Nematode Management - Dr. John Mueller, Clemson University

Check them out when you get a chance!

Report

To get the full report as it stands currently, either email me at jmsarv2@uky.edu, or follow these steps...

1. Click on this link -----> SoyMVP Report

2. Click on 'Free User'

3. After the clock expires, click 'download'

The file is in .pdf format. Again, if you would like the report via email, simply email me at jmsarv2@uky.edu and let me know.


The full report will replace this one as soon as the necessary data is acquired.

It's been a while...(somewhat) preliminary report

I've spent the last couple of months rounding up and analyzing data and trying to get our fields set up for next year.

It looks like all of our producers from this year will return for next year, plus we are going to add several more. Not only that, but we are going to work with a handful of producers to do some specific side-by-side comparisons and replicated trials on issues that they feel are important to soybean production in their fields.

While I'm still trying to acquire the data on two comparisons (4 fields in total), I'll attach a report as it stands now.

Yield Numbers

We have some preliminary yield numbers on a few of the fields in the program. There will be many more details and an economic analysis in the official publication, but here are some initial numbers:

Field A

UK

Planting Date: June 3

Seeding Rate: 120,000

Plant Stand: 97,000

Pods per 10’ of row: 1720

Herbicide: Glyphosate; Glyphosate + Select

Insectidide: None

Fungicide: None

Yield: 73.8 bu/a

Farmer Practice

Planting Date: June 3

Seeding Rate: 140,000

Plant Stand: 114,800

Pods per 10’ of row: 1550

Herbicide: Glyphosate; Glyphosate + Select

Insecticide: Warrior

Fungicide: Stratego

Yield: 74.4 bu/a

Field B

UK

Planting Date: June 25

Seeding Rate: 140,000

Plant Stand: 112,700

Pods per 10’ of row: 1312

Herbicide: Extreme

Yield: 46.2 bu/a

Farmer Practice

Planting Date: June 25

Seeding Rate: 176,000

Plant Stand: 126,800

Pods per 10’ of row: 1406

Herbicide: Extreme

Yield: 44.7 bu/a

Field C

UK

Planting Date: June 25

Seeding Rate: 140,000

Plant Stand: 99,900

Pods per 10’ of row: 1164

Herbicide: Extreme

Yield: 40.1 bu/a

Farmer Practice

Planting Date: June 25

Seeding Rate: 176,000

Plant Stand: 122,700

Pods per 10’ of row: 1406

Herbicide: Extreme

Yield: 40.5 bu/a

Harvest continues

* Today, we will harvest two more fields, leaving only one yet to be cut.

* We have definitely been blessed with the driest period so far this year. Combines have been running day and night over the past couple of weeks. This has been an odd weather year to say the least.

* Although it was hard to get beans in the ground, and up until a couple of weeks ago it was hard to get them out, yield data is looking very encouraging.

* Considering the conditions, I'm interested to see fungicide test results from this year. Preliminarily, we are seeing no differences in our SoyMVP plots for treated v. untreated.

Harvesting

We are finally in the field harvesting soybeans!

All of our fields are ready to go but the weather won't cooperate. It's raining again today but looks like it will be nice toward the end of this week and the beginning of next week.

I'll post some preliminary numbers as soon as they are available.