Johnston, Iowa, USA
August 21, 2024
Farmers can learn more and speak with Alex Harrell at this year’s Farm Progress Show
Following the launch of Pioneer® brand Z-Series soybeans earlier this year, Alex Harrell of Leesburg, Georgia, set a new world record of 218.2856 bu/A with Z-Series variety P49Z02E™. Verified by the University of Georgia extension, Harrell broke his previous world record of 206 bu/A set in 2023.
“Congratulations to Alex on this milestone soybean yield achievement,” said Luke Davies, Pioneer U.S. Marketing Lead. “We’re excited to see these results with our new class of soybeans. Alex is proving that Z-Series soybeans represent the next performance step forward for soybean farmers, with a generational leap in yield and agronomics.”
When Harrell learned about the new genetics and yield potential with Z-Series soybeans, he decided to give the new soybeans a try for the 2024 growing season. Last year, Pioneer® brand A-Series soybeans performed well so he was eager to see if Z-Series soybeans could unlock even better results.
“We planted five fields with Z-Series varieties and right when they emerged, I knew they were special beans,” Harrell said. “Emergence was perfect – we had a picket fence stand all the way across the field and I knew from that point on that these beans had potential.”
Harrell kept a close eye on his Z-Series soybean fields all season long and saw overall improved plant health and clean rows.
“From an agronomic standpoint, we noticed that the beans were staying healthier longer and greener later. We had extreme heat this year, but they never really got stressed – the beans kept blooming and the pods kept growing,” Harrell said. “These varieties have the Enlist E3 soybean trait and we used the Enlist system to control weeds and we had nothing but clean fields. Overall, we were very impressed with these bean fields all season long.”
When selecting next year’s varieties, Harrell encourages farmers not to be afraid of trying this new class of soybeans.
“If you’re considering planting Z-Series soybeans next year, I’d say, go for it. It’s amazing to see how much bigger the actual beans are compared to other varieties – even without intense management,” Harrell noted. “I even noticed improved yields in my standard production fields with Z-Series soybeans.”
Pioneer launched Z-Series soybeans with limited availability for the 2024 planting season and will have greater quantities available for 2025. Z-Series soybean varieties range from relative maturity 00.3 to relative maturity 6.4 – providing farmers across North America access to varieties that fit their needs.
Alex Harrell will attend this year’s Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, on Tuesday, August 27. Visit the Pioneer tent (#634) to speak with him and learn more about his high-yielding management practices. To learn more about Pioneer brand Z-Series soybeans, talk with your local Pioneer sales representative or visit Pioneer.com/ZSeries.
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