Seed Selection for Soybeans

The selection of your soybean varieties is a vital component of your management effort. But what criteria should be included in your variety selection?

Criteria

  • Yield—it is desirable to find a variety that is doing well in your area.
  • Maturity Grouping—to spread out soybean harvest, I possibly might use a variety 0.2-to-0.5 maturity group shorter to begin my soybean harvest with.
  • Disease Rating.
    • Brown Stem: Need a very strong rating.
    • Phytophthora: Want Rps1k, Rps1c, or Rps7.
    • Phytophthora Field Tolerance: A strong rating is desirable.
      • Soybean Cyst Nematode—want R3 or MR3.
      • White Mold—in fields where there is a white mold history, you need a strong white mold rating.
      • Emergence—want excellent rating.
      • Standability—want excellent rating for yield and harvest ease.
      • Seed Treatments—check with seed dealer or seed treater.
        • Seed Treatment for:
          • Disease Control.
          • Insects.
          • Nematodes.