Soybean yields continue to climb in 2011

(WJBC) – Farmers who grow soybeans continue to see yield boosts due to a number of factors.

One company experiencing that yield boost is Asgrow.  In 2011, Asgrow soybeans showed a 4.5 bushel per acre advantage and a 79 percent win rate in over 8,000 comparisons nationally, according to Asgrow marketing manager Dan Kurdys. The year before, Asgrow soybeans showed a 4.1 bushel per acre advantage, proving good performance in two years with very different weather patterns.

“We take a systems approach to management,” said Kurdys.

That approach includes high yield management practices in five specific areas: variety selection, early planting, fertility optimization, canopy development and stress minimization.

Kurdys believes yield increases over the past several years are a result of that complete system approach. Genetic bandwidth is increasing, farmers are using more tools in terms of weed management and treatment, and they are implementing high yield management practices.

“I want to thank those Illinois growers that sent me their yield monitor shots this year of those 70 and 80 bushel an acre beans.  It was a lot of fun,” said Kurdys.

Kurdys thinks soybean yields will continue to climb over the next decade.

“I think there was a culture of thinking that 100 bushel soybeans was too far, but I think more guys are coming on board and saying, maybe we can get there,” said Kurdys.

A couple of things in the pipeline for Asgrow include dicamba resistant soybeans, which will provide another way of controlling weeds, and intrinsic yield, which adds another level of yield to what already exists. ~ Carrie Muehling can be reached at carrie@wjbc.com.