WOLCOTT, Ind. — Ebberts Field Seeds took four of the top seven spots in a soybean test at a farm in White County, Ind. The test was conducted by Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) at the farm of Bruce and Vernon Furrer in Wolcott.

F.I.R.S.T. Site Manager Rich Schleuning planted the plot on May 20, 2011, at 180,000 seeds per acre and harvested the beans at 159,400 plants per acre on Oct. 7. The plot, located in northwestern Indiana, used conventional fall tillage in well-drained, non-irrigated silty clay loam soil, with a high concentration of phosphorous and potassium; the pH was 6.6. The average yield for the 36 varieties was 81.9 bushels per acre.

Ebberts 2350RR2 took first place for this test with a yield for this variety an average of 87.8 bushels per acre and an estimated average gross income of $1,009.70 per acre. Moisture content was 11.3 percent.

Ebberts 2342RR2 variety was second with an average yield of 87 bushels per acre and an income of $1,000.50 per acre. Moisture content with this variety was at 12.2 percent, the highest among the top 30 yielding varieties in this test.

Specialty 3494CR2 was third with an average yield of 86.8 bushels per acre and an income of $998.20 per acre. Moisture content was at 10.6 percent.

Finishing fourth was FS Hisoy’s HS 28A02 at 86.4 bushels per acre and an income of $993.60 per acre. Fifth was Stewart Seed’s 3412R2 with an average yield of 85.9 bushels and an income of $987.90, while Ebberts held the No. 7 spot at 85.8 bushels and an income of $986.70.

While the vast majority of the varieties saw low incidences of lodging (average being just 2.5 percent), lodging for the top two finishers was at 5.7 percent.

“When it comes to soybeans, a lodging of 5.7 percent isn’t really that bad,” Schleuning said. “When you reach a lodging of 20, that makes harvesting more difficult.”

Schleuning was impressed with test results, as were field owners Bruce and Vernon Furrer.

“This is an area that was blessed with better than expected yield for this growing season,” Schleuning said. “Harvest was slow due to all the fodder that had to be thrashed.”

Fifteen-inch row spacing was used. The previous crop had been corn, treated with Atrazine. Pest management used was Roundup and Fusion.

“The beans ranged in size from 36 to 48 inches,” Schleuning said. “Some varieties still had some dried leaves attached at harvest. Bruce and Vernon have been very pleased with crop yields for the year.”

Rounding out the top 10 finishers were Stewarts’ 3300R2, Channel Seed Brand’s 3105R2 and Seed Consultant’s SCS 9330RR varieties.

To learn more about the top-yielding varieties and particulars of treatment, visit www.firstseedtests.com