By Broughton Goodson
With soybean harvest fast approaching, the NC State Extension Soybean Agronomy Program along with the NC Soybean Producers Association has announced the rules for the 2026 NC Soybean Yield Contest. The purpose of the NC Soybean Production Contests are to recognize those producers who produce high yields, to gather data on the practices used by these outstanding producers and to disseminate that information to producers across the state.
Eligibility
Any grower (owner-operator, tenant, or tenant-landlord team) who produces three or more acres of soybeans in North Carolina is eligible to enter the contest. The contest area must be located entirely in North Carolina and be a minimum of three contiguous acres of a single variety of soybeans. A grower may make more than one entry but will be eligible for only one award in each contest. Growers who wish to evaluate an entire field are encouraged to do so. There are no restrictions on cultural or management practices used.
Requirements
A minimum of three contiguous acres will be evaluated, with the field measurement and yield determination under the supervision of a County Soybean Contest Committee member. All required documentation must be received by December 4, 2026. Summaries of yields will be made available online at: soybeans.ces.ncsu.edu.
Field Measurements
The field or portion of a field entered must be one contiguous area with a minimum size of 3.0 acres, and composed of a three- or four-sided figure, with all sides being straight lines. All measurements must be made with a measuring tape or wheel and recorded to the nearest foot. For maximum accuracy, a single diagonal measured from one corner of the plot to the opposite corner would be helpful and is to the advantage of the entering County Agent and grower but is not required. If measuring the diagonal of a 4-sided figure is impractical, the diagonal can be calculated by measuring 3 sides of a triangle (100 ft minimum) measured in one of the corners of the 4-sided figure. In measuring, plot width should be measured from the first harvested row on the left to the first unharvested row on the right (this process accounts for the ½ row width on either side of the harvested area which must be included in the final calculation of yield). Measurements are to be made by the County Extension Agent.
Source : ncsu.edu