UW soybean-variety trials complete

The Wisconsin Soybean Performance Trials are conducted each year with producer needs in mind. Our objective is to give producers the information to select varieties that will satisfy their specific goals and are most likely to perform best under their management practices. The 2025 Wisconsin Soybean Performance Trials featured a diverse range of entries submitted by seed companies, private breeders and university researchers. Those included both commercially available and experimental varieties, with additional cultivars added for comparison. Trials were conducted using conventional, reduced tillage or no-till practices, planted at a rate of 160,000 seeds per acre in 15-inch rows.

Growing conditions across Wisconsin were generally favorable in 2025. While normal precipitation and average temperatures in spring delayed planting, late-season dryness did not significantly impact crop development. Those conditions supported consistent growth and maturation across trial locations, allowing for reliable performance comparisons among varieties.

Performance was evaluated based on yield, lodging, maturity and grain composition. Yields were measured in bushels per acre at 13 percent moisture, while lodging scores reflected plant erectness at maturity. Maturity was determined by pod color or frost occurrence. Grain composition, specifically protein and oil content, was measured using SCiO NIR sensors mounted on combines. This new approach enhances transparency and helps growers make informed decisions by considering both yield and nutritional value.

Due to the government shutdown, state-level yield estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service were unavailable at the time of posting. But based on results from our performance trials, we estimate that soybean yields in Wisconsin for 2025 were better than the long-term trend and likely approached, if not reached, state record levels.

Seed companies, private breeders, and university research and Extension specialists voluntarily submitted any number of entries they wished for the trials. Most of the entries are commercially available, but experimental varieties were also tested. Several additional commercial and public cultivars were included for comparison. Tests were conducted using a randomized complete block design with four replicates.