Selecting the best adapted soybean varieties for your farm is one of the most profitable decisions you will make. To ensure that you are selecting the best adapted and highest yielding varieties for your farm, you should utilize three sources of information:
If you are not utilizing any one of these sources, you are reducing the probability of selecting the best-adapted and highest-yielding varieties.
Most soybean agronomists agree that evaluating variety performance data from as many different environments as possible is essential to selecting top performing varieties. The Michigan Soybean Performance Report is an excellent resource for comparing the yield and lodging of soybean varieties across multiple locations and years. The report is updated annually and the 2014 report is available now at the Michigan State University Variety Trials website. The information contained in the report will also be published in the Dec. 1, 2014, edition of the Michigan Farm News. The 2014 report will not be mailed directly to Michigan soybean producers as done so in the past.
The Sanilac County site was heavily infested with white mold in 2014 and was not included in the central zone average. However, the yield and disease severity index for each variety planted at this site are reported in a special 2014 Michigan White Mold Soybean Performance Report. This report is included in the 2014 Michigan Soybean Performance Report and provides extremely valuable information as variety selection is the most important tactic in a comprehensive white mold management plan.
A searchable database for the Michigan Soybean Performance Report is available online at the MSU Variety Trials website. The searchable database enables soybean producers to input specific search criteria such as soybean cyst nematode resistance, phytopthora resistance and maturity. The highest-yielding varieties having the selected characteristics will be identified and listed from top to bottom by yield. The 2014 data will be added to the searchable database in early December.
Source: MSUE