Urbandale, Iowa
December 18, 2007
If you are rushing to place your
seed order before the end of the year, but are still puzzling
over the wide variety of options available, here are a few tips
to guide you in choosing the best soybean seed for next year's
bumper crop.
The first step in maximizing profit per acre is choosing the
varieties for your farm that will increase your overall
productivity, according to the
Iowa Soybean Association
(ISA).
“Look at Iowa State University yield trial data for unbiased
results,” says Dr. David Wright, director of contract research
for ISA. “However, you should keep in mind that not all
commercial varieties are entered into those trials. There are
also other independent and well run yield trials that do a good
job of indicating yield potential. In addition, ask your seed
dealer to show you multi-year company yield data for all
varieties they are recommending.”
Palle Pedersen, Iowa State University soybean Extension
agronomist, agrees, saying, “To minimize risk when selecting a
variety it is important to get yield data from replicated trials
and from numerous locations. That will help identify a stable,
high yielding variety.”
Wright adds, “Growers must develop a portfolio of high yielding
soybean varieties that address the pathogens in their fields. A
high percentage of those varieties should have defensive traits
such as resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and sudden
death syndrome (SDS). It’s important to match the agronomics of
soybean varieties with the challenges you face on your farm.”
A recent survey conducted by Iowa State University found that
greater than 70 percent of Iowa fields tested positive for
soybean cyst nematode, the nation’s number one yield robber.
Sudden death syndrome isn’t quite as severe, but it is catching
up quickly.
Wright suggests that in Iowa, the top four traits to look for
when selecting soybean seed are:
1. High yield potential
2. Yield stability across environments
3. Effective resistance to SCN
4. Field tolerance to sudden death syndrome.
In addition, he recommends that
growers strongly consider insecticide seed treatment when
planting early to control bean leaf beetle.
Finally, Wright says the surest way to find out how soybean
varieties will yield on your farm is to give them a test run.
“Test your top five choices on your farm in strip or small field
trials,” he says. “It’s important to remember that effective
performance against diseases like SCN, sudden death syndrome,
frogeye leaf spot and brown stem rot vary from variety to
variety. These diseases, when left uncontrolled, typically rob
producers of 5 to 10 bushels per acre. On-farm testing is the
surest way to evaluate varieties against these diseases.”
To learn more about ISA, visit its Web site at
www.iasoybeans.com.
The Iowa Soybean Association develops policies and programs
that help farmers expand profit opportunities while promoting
environmentally sensitive production using the soybean checkoff
and other resources. The Association is governed by an elected
volunteer board of 21 farmers. |
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