Wisconsin's soybean Extension specialist says farmers are now growing twice as much food using less land, energy and water than just a generation earlier. In fact, soybean yields have consistently increased by a third of a bushel per acre per year since the 1920s, according to Shawn Conley, Ph. D. of the University of Wisconsin.
"Soybean yield advances over the last 80 years have been driven by both genetic yield gain as well as improved agronomic practices," Conley says. "What we have found is that today's genetics respond better to earlier planting, suggesting a synergistic relationship."
Besides better yields, new varieties have other advantages, as well. The modern varieties mature about a week later than they did back in the 1950s and 60s, contributing to increased yield. And Protein production on a per-seed basis has nearly doubled since the 1920s.
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