Management Summary of the 2012 WSA Soybean Yield Contest Finalists

Image 1. Geographic Divisions

2012 was the third year of the WSA sponsored soybean yield contest.  The format was changed in 2012 to allow more growers to compete against their peers from areas of Wisconsin that had equal yield potential.  Four geographic divisions were created based on county historic yield data (Image 1.).  As expected, the winning yields in each division were proportional to, and reflected the productivity of the regional yield potentials. 

A management summary of the nine finalists is as follows (Table 1.)

• The mean planting date was May 12^th
• The mean seeding rate was 156,000 seeds/acre.
• 67% used seed applied inoculant
• 89% used fungicide and insecticide seed treatments. 
• 56% used a foliar insecticide and a fungicide.
• 100% rotated following corn
• 67% were in a row spacing less than 30”

The most important variable that was key to high yields was variety selection.  Among this year’s first place winners, three of the four varieties planted were starred (not significantly different than the highest yielding variety) in the Wisconsin Soybean Variety Test Results. Other than variety selection, there was no single management factor that separated the winners from the other contestants. Yields achieved were the result of a combination of good management and favorable environmental factors.

Cultural Weed Management Practice Changes in the Midwest

Dr. Kevin Bradley from the University of Missouri is conducting an on-line survey across the Midwest to assess the changes that glyphosate-resistance has caused for cultural weed management practices and recommendations.  I have personally been through this survey and it is very simple and should only take a few minutes to complete.  This survey will only be up a short amount of time, so please if you’ve read this far please just quickly complete the survey now and help represent WI with a good response rate: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/59GJBCX   

I thank you very much in advance! 

Vince M. Davis, Extension Weed Scientist

Shawn P. Conley, Extension Soybean and Small Grain Specialist

Winners of the 2012 WI Soybean Contest are Announced

The 1st place winner in Division 4, Bahr Farms of Belmont grew Trelay 24RR19 and harvested 82.6 bu/a. In second place, Nick Viney of Badgerland Grain Farms, Edgerton, grew FS HiSoy HS 24A01 and harvested 81.4 bu/a. In Division 3, RnK DeVoe Farms on Monroe won 1^st place with Pioneer 93Y43 at 75.2 bu/a and in 2^nd place, Josh Trautman of Badgerland Grain Farms, Edgerton, harvested 74.2 bu/a with FS HiSoy HS 24A01.  Also in Division 3, the Wisconsin Bean Team of UW Graduate students Adam Gaspar, David Marburger, and Scott Rowntree grew Pioneer 92Y51 and harvested 79.0 bu/a. The WI Bean Team is ineligible for official prizes as they are grad students of Dr. Conley; however their efforts are still unofficially recognized.   In Division 2, Jerry Koser of Almena achieved 73.7 bu/a from Pioneer 91M10 for first place. In 2^nd place, Fly-By Acres of Sheboygan Falls harvested 69.6 bu/a from NK Brand 21-N6 Brand soybeans. In Division 1 at 61.2 bu/a is Kloos Acres from Stratford.  They planted Pioneer 91Y30. 2^nd place winner in Division 1 was Paul Graf Farms from Sturgeon Bay.  They harvested 47.2 bu/a from Asgrow AG1031.  

The contest is sponsored by the WI Soybean Program and organized to encourage the development of new and innovative management practices and to show the importance of using sound cultural practices in WI soybean production.

For more information please contact Shawn Conley, WI State Soybean Specialist at 608-262-7975 or spconley@wisc.edu

Finalists for the 2012 WI Soybean Yield Contest are Announced

The 2012 growing season proved to be a challenge for many growers and a bin buster for others.  Given these widespread challenges we again experienced great interest in the 2012 WSA/WSMB Soybean Yield Contest.  The top two entries in each division (in no particular order) were:

Division 4: 

• Kevin and Dale Bahr, Belmont (planted Trelay 24RR19)
• Nick Viney, Edgerton (planted FS HS24A01)

Division 3:

• Josh Trautman, Edgerton (planted FS HS24A01)
• Rick Devoe, Monroe (planted Pioneer 93Y43)  
• *WI Bean Team (Adam Gaspar, David Marbuger, Scott Rowntree) Madison (planted Pioneer 92Y51) 

*The WI Bean Team is ineligible for official prizes as they are grad students of Dr. Conley; however their efforts are still unofficially recognized.  

Division 2:

• Jerry Koser, Almena (planted Pioneer 91M10) 
• Jim Kroeplien, Sheboygan Falls (planted NK S21-N6) 

Division 1: 

• Steven Kloos, Stratford (planted Pioneer 91Y30) 
• Paul Graf, Sturgeon Bay (planted Asgrow AG1031) 

The final ranking and awards will be presented at the 2013 Corn Soy Expo to be held at the Kalahari Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells on Thursday January 31st during the WSA/WSMB annual meeting.

The contest is sponsored by the WI Soybean Program and organized to encourage the development of new and innovative management practices and to show the importance of using sound cultural practices in WI soybean production.

For more information please contact Shawn Conley, WI State Soybean Specialist at 608-262-7975 or spconley@wisc.edu