EAST LANSING, Mich. — 2019 marked the 14th and final year for a soybean yield contest in Michigan. Beginning in 2020 there will be a national soybean yield contest, somewhat similar to what corn and wheat do now.
The goals of the contest have always been to increase soybean yield and profitability in Michigan. The contest provides a “fun” incentive for Michigan farmers to work at these goals. The contest information is used to help increase farmer attention to the agronomics of soybean production. The contest is sponsored by the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee and Spartan Agricultural Consulting, LLC
For the 2019 contest, there were 89 entries from 82 farmers from 23counties in Michigan. The highest overall yield was 99 bushels per acre by Don Stall of Eaton County. Don has achieved over 100 bushels per acre of soybeans for six of the past eight years, but 2019 was an extremely wet year so soybeans were planted and harvested much later than normal (if at all). He first achieved over 100 bushels per acre in 2012, besting that yield since, with a new high yield for Michigan of 124.75 bushels per acres in 2018.
Awards will be given out at the Great Lakes Crops Summit at the Soaring Eagle Resort, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan on January 29, 2020. This year saw four yields over 90 bushels per acre and there were 6 farmers with yields over 80 bushels per acre.
For 2019 the winners and their yields were:
Class A; Late Maturity Non-irrigated Riley Schipper of Allegan County 80.03 bu/A.
Class B; Late Maturity Irrigated Don Stall of Eaton County 99.11 bu/A/
Class C; Mid Maturity Non-irrigated Jim Schaendorf of Allegan County 90.24 bu/A.
Class D; Mid Maturity Irrigated J.P Clover of Ionia County 76.27 bu/A.
Class E; Early Maturity Larry Lenhart of Allegan County 79.51 bu/A.
The winners will receive a trophy and other prizes from some of the participating soybean seed, fertilizer and chemical companies. Participating seed companies included: Asgrow, Dairyland, Dyna Gro, Golden Harvest, Pioneer and Renk. A brief summary of the 2019 contest winners will be published in the Spring 2019 Michigan Soybean News magazine.
Other farmers who achieved at least 90 bushels per acre were Nick Suwyn of Allegan County and Scott Jirgens of Kalamazoo County. Other farmers who had at least 80 bushels of soybeans per acre included; Josh Bieber, Tyler Schaendorf and Dale Suwyn of Allegan County, Don Stall and K and H Grain of Kent County. Entries were received from farmers in Allegan, Arenac, Bay, Branch, Cass, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Ionia, Huron, Isabella, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lenawee, Mason, Midland, Monroe, Ottawa, Sanilac, Saginaw, St. Joseph, Tuscola and Washtenaw counties.
Prizes will be awarded to the winners and runner-up of each class and to all the farmers who completed the contest. For more information about the contest results, contact Ned Birkey of Spartan Ag at birkey@msu.edu.
— Ned Birkey, MSU Extension Educator Emeritus/ Spartan Agricultural Consulting, LLC
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