Newletter Time

Our fall newsletter went in the old fashioned mailbag this week.  It has been asked whether the newsletter would be posted on this blog.  The answer is no.  Posting in cyber space creates a permanent record which anyone can trace.  It is hard to believe, but people from all corners of the world have looked at this blog.  I trust our customers to not misinterpret what is written in a newsletter, but I don't trust the rest of the world.  I don't want to expose Pioneer or myself to unnecessary scrutiny by someone with an axe to grind.

Meanwhile, harvest is still happening and plot results are coming in.  One thing I received after the newsletter went to print was the yield report of the soybean IMPACT plot at our farm.  The IMPACT plot is a replicated plot managed by Pioneer's IMPACT team.  There are experimental varieties included in the plot, but let's look at the results of varieties that are commercially available. 

 

The average of the plot was 52.7 bu.  The varieties above the average were 91Y81, DK28-60RY, DK29-60RY, 92Y12 and 92Y22.  92Y12 which topped the plot ran 59.6 bu.  Varieties below the average were DK27-10RY, DK27-60RY, 91Y01, 91M01, 91Y41 and 90Y90. 

There is one main point I wish to drive home.  The top five varieties averaged 57.3 bu.  The bottom 6 varieties averaged 48.9 bu.  The average maturity rating of the top 5 varieties is 2980 heat units.  The average maturity rating of the bottom 6 varieties is 2775 heat units. 

Increasing maturity by 200 heat units on average produced 8.4 bu more soybeans.  The plot was planted on May 10, harvested on September 27 and the highest moisture was 14.6%. 

In the newsletter I talk about producing 60 bushel beans.  One strategy to higher yields is planting full season varieties as early as possible.  This is a clear example of the effectiveness of this approach.  There is always a risk to planting full season genetics, but in my view the rewards justify the risk.