By STEVE BINDER Illinois Correspondent
WINNEBAGO, Ill. — Not unlike most growers last year, Eric Swanson was hopeful for excellent weather conditions and a lack of disease for decent yields. Thanks mostly to Mother Nature – mission accomplished. “Everything germinated well on his tract, and he put his beans in the ground at a time that worked out very well. Had he been a week or two later, his yields likely would have been less,” said Jason Beyers, who was site manager for Swanson’s test plots, for the Illinois-based Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (FIRST) program. Swanson farms about 3,000 acres in northwestern Illinois and raises livestock, and one noteworthy aspect of his season this year was the addition of extra cattle manure to most of his property, Beyers said. “There was a lot of extra cattle manure added this year, so we’re certain that made some difference, too,” he explained. “You never know how much Mother Nature truly helps or hurts, but in Eric’s case he probably did benefit by getting in a little earlier than others in the area. That lack of rain in July didn’t hurt him as much.” Overall, Swanson’s plot averaged 75.5 bushels per acre for all of his beans, but the top two performers outdistanced others. Finishing first was Latham’s L2128R2 at 85.3 bushels per acre, with a gross income of $879 per acre. In second was Renk’s variety RS213NR2 at 85 bushels per acre with a return of $876 per acre. Rounding out the top five, at third place was Dairyland’s DSR-2411/R2Y at 82.9 bushels per acre on a return of $854 an acre; NK Brand’s S20-T6 GC at 82.9 bushels with a return of $854; and Latham’s E2328R2 with 82.3 bushels and a return of $848. Swanson’s silt loam soil is moderately well-drained, non-irrigated and last year had moderate levels of P and K with a pH level of 6.5. He rotates each year between corn and soybeans. Beyers noted this year’s stand of beans was “tall with long internodes, a major contributor to the lodging scores presented. Seed size was very large and pods contained three to four beans.” He added that Swanson told him “earlier-planted beans in this area were averaging 10 bushels per acre over the later-planted ones.” |
