Multi-Year Data Best for Seed Selection

If you’re considering what soybean varieties may be best to plant for 2010 Yield Challenge plots and other fields, evaluate multi-year data for the best results.  Statistics from the last two unusual growing seasons must be kept in context with other recent year data to obtain the most reliable information.

“The biggest factor for 2010 seed selection is to not get overly emotional about what you saw in 2008 or 2009.  Seed selection decisions should not be based solely on problems with white mold, aphids or sudden death syndrome (SDS).  Those problems may overshadow what was truly the best performing varieties,” says Vince Davis, University of Illinois Extension soybean specialist.  “You can’t make decisions based on just one year’s experience, either.  Both 2008 and 2009 were similar anomalies that created odd data sets versus data sets that cover the last few years.”

Davis notes too much rain in one year is unique, but two years in a row is exceptionally unique.  Late planting in 2009 meant half of the state’s soybean acres did not get planted until early June.

“You can’t maximize yield when that happens.  Soybeans needed to be in the ground about a month earlier than they were in many locations,” he says.  “By the same token, those who planted on time and did not experience disease or insect pressure had good yields.”

That may help explain why Illinois soybean farmers in 2009 had an estimated average yield of 45 bushels per acre, down only slightly from the 2008 average yield of 47 bushels per acre.

“I would say 2009 was a year of extremes around the state, with soybean yields all over the map,” he says.  “For example, farmers in northern Illinois who planted varieties not susceptible to white mold had above-average yields.  Meanwhile, aphids moved farther south than usual this year and were around later in the season.  For farmers in that situation, the learning curve was steep and yield losses were large where scouting and applications were not timely.  Yet statewide, insects were not too bad in 2009.”

Davis encourages farmers for those reasons to take any single year data with a grain of salt.  “Some good news is that there were lots of good data on varietal susceptibility to white mold by public and private researchers.  Many seed representatives will have information from this year that is more solid than usual for white mold scores, but it should still be compared with the overall yield potential from other locations and seasons,” he says.

Looking forward, Davis says, “farmers do not need to go out and change row spacing or tillage plans, per se, but they can look for ways to be even more efficient.  Line up logistics to maximize hours.  Be even better.  Time is critical,” he says.  “For farmers who want to increase yields, the 2010 Yield Challenge provides an opportunity to ask and answer questions.  It is an excellent mechanism to focus on what interests individual farmers the most while trying to find new ways to increase soybean yields.”

For more information about the 2010 Yield Challenge, visit www.soyyieldchallenge.com.

*Content Funded Through Soybean Checkoff