By Seth L. Naeve
Variety selection is one of the most important management decisions that influence soybean production.
Obviously, it’s key to select varieties that demonstrate the highest yield potential, although that’s only 80 percent of the equation. The other 20 percent is about identifying the best variety for each field.
Why field fit is important
While the genetic base for soybean is quite narrow, each variety has strengths and weaknesses. Properly positioning the best lines across your acres will increase yields by several bushels per acre.
You may meet people who’ll promise they can help choose these varieties for each field but, unless you work with a crop consultant who has scouted your fields, most will not have enough information to help position varieties.
Taking inventory
The key is a detailed, well-organized inventory of all of your acres. A clear understanding of the diseases that impact soybean yields on each farm is an essential ingredient for variety selection. Knowing where and when diseases have been present will help.
How to assess your fields
Walk through your fields throughout the season and note any troublesome issues. If plants have diseases you can’t readily identify in the field, send them to a lab. Map the areas and take notes to identify associations between disease and environmental factors or management decisions.
For instance, “Disease X was present in the south half of the Y 80. Planting conditions were excellent and variety Z was treated with A+B+C.” Paired with soils and yield maps, these observations can be quite powerful.
Without truly understanding which organisms impact your soybean yields, it’s difficult to select among the hundreds of available varieties. Keep in mind genetic resistance is only available for a small number of diseases. You’ll need additional soybean management to reduce risk from all diseases.
Seed quality
When choosing among varieties, it’s also important to keep seed compositional quality in mind.
Although it’s unlikely you’ll be directly penalized for your soybeans’ low protein or oil content, your entire crop will be marketed at a small discount for historical low protein levels typically found in the upper Midwest.
This penalty is embedded within the basis. Choosing high-quality soybean genetics will allow Minnesota soybeans to remain competitive in local and international markets.
Maturity
The most practical selection criterion among varieties is maturity.
Click here to see more...