What's the Answer? Can We Have Faith in the 2001 Soybean Performance Trials?

Soybean yields are dismal across the majority of the province for 2001. Yields below 25 bu/ac, unusual in most years, are the norm this year. How will this affect the data generated by field strip trials and small plot variety trials? Can we, or how do we best use this year's yield comparison information?

Yield is affected by numerous factors which can be placed into two main categories. First, yield is a response to environmental conditions and secondly yield is a response to the genetics of any given variety.

When a growing season has stresses such as low moisture and high insect levels yield is low due mainly to environment factors. Plant breeders use this information to pick out specific traits, such as drought tolerance or insect resistance. Under good growing conditions, these differences may not appear. While important, these traits are less helpful to the grower who is mainly interested in which soybean variety has the greatest chance of providing the highest yield during future growing seasons.

Picking the soybean variety you will plant next year from data collected during only one year is a poor choice under most circumstances, but it's a particularly bad idea this year. The most reliable way to choose the best variety is to consider a 3-year performance average on any given variety. This measures yield from average environmental and genetic influences. This strategy is the best for both on-farm strip trials and the official performance trials. The "official" performance trial report will be released during the Ontario Soybean Growers Annual Meeting on December 6 and 7, 2001. Data includes both 2 and 3 year averages for specific heat unit areas. The committee that prepares this report will use their collective wisdom to determine what, if any, of this year's data is valid. The best data to use will certainly be the 3 year yield average.

When choosing a variety it's also important to look at your specific environment carefully. Seed companies do considerable testing each year in many areas of the province and have useful information for your specific area or soil type. Another good source of information is the Ontario Field Trials Online website which can be found on the Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement website. This site allows you to see information specific to your conditions and the variety that you're considering. The type of soil or the specific disease problems of your fields should be carefully considered before making a decision. For example, If you have a soybean cyst nematode (SCN) problem in a field a resistant variety is essential rather than just choosing the variety that had the best yield results in fields not infested.

Always a tough choice, choosing the right soybean variety will be even more of a challenge this year!

Related Links

• Ontario Field Trials Online, Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association website

| Top of Page |