If I were to ask the question, “What are the two largest management factors that come to mind when you hear soybean management factors?” What would your answer be? For myself, the top two things that come to mind are early planting date (late March and April) and herbicide resistance.
Early planting date has arguably been the biggest soybean yield driver because of the increased number of days before the plant starts to flower. This allows... Read More →
ILSOYADVISOR POST
2018 Illinois Soybean Yield Challenge Winners Announced; 100-Bushel Yields Continue
December 19, 2018
With the 2018 soybean season setting records in Illinois and other states, it is no surprise that several growers topped 100 bushels per acre (bu/A) in the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff program’s annual Yield Challenge competition. In its eighth year, 66 entries were considered for the top honors in four different contests—the 100-Bushel Challenge, the Crop Region Contest, Double-Crop Challenge and the Side-by-Side Contest.
“As soybean growers, we are always learning new management practices and techniques that allow us to produce food more sustainably than ever before,” says Lynn Rohrscheib, soybean farmer from Fairmount, Illinois, and chairwoman for the Illinois Soybean Association. “The Yield Challenge encourages growers in that pursuit of continuous improvement, for both our local communities and a growing world population.”
Proving this year to be an exceptional one for soybeans, 15 growers harvested crops above 100 bu/A with another 30 breaking the 90 bu/A mark. Taking the top honor and outyielding last year’s winner by less than a bushel, Paul Klein of Seymour won the 100-Bushel Challenge with 110.94 bu/A on his Champaign County field.
In the irrigated category, Greg McClure broke the century mark with 110.19 bu/A. The winners of the irrigated and non-irrigated categories will each receive a grand prize of $4,000.
2018 – Entrees that made over 100-bu in the 100-Bushel Challenge:
| NAME | CITY | REGION | YIELD (bu/A) | IRRIGATED |
| Paul Klein | Seymour | 2 | 110.94 | |
| Joe Klein | Seymour | 2 | 106.28 | |
| Marc Padrutt | Decatur | 2 | 101.07 | |
| Greg McClure | St. Francisville | 3 | 105.18 | |
| Greg McClure | St. Francisville | 3 | 110.19 | X |
| Cameron McClure | St. Francisville | 3 | 108.06 | X |
| Edward Logan | Griggsville | 3 | 103.19 | |
| Duane Noland | Decatur | 3 | 102.50 | |
| Tom Elmore | Farmersville | 3 | 101.89 | |
| Travis Rovey | Farmersville | 3 | 100.78 | |
| Travis Rovey (2nd entry) | Farmersville | 3 | 100.54 |
Entrants in the 100-Bushel Challenge must have the grain weighed on a certified commercial scale, submit original scale ticket and have yield verified by two witnesses, one provided by ISA.
The 2018 Crop Region Contest winners are:
| NAME YIELD (bu/A) | CITY | REGION | PLACE | YIELD (bu/A) |
| Dan Luepkes | Chana | 1 | 1 | 103.46 |
| Luke and Eric Heaton | Ohio | 1 | 2 | 97.46 |
| Chuck Walsh | Bement | 2 | 1 | 112.48 |
| Joe Klein | Seymour | 2 | 2 | 106.28 |
| Ken Elmore | Waggoner | 3 | 1 | 108.31 |
| Cameron McClure | St. Francisville | 3 | 2 | 108.06 |
| Mark and Matt Krausz | New Baden | 4 | 1 | 90.22 |
| Vernon Mayer | Cutler | 4 | 2 | 75.24 |
First-place winners of the Crop Region Contest will receive $1,000 each.
The 2018 Side-by-Side winners are:
| NAME | CITY | REGION | CHECK PLOT (bu/A) | CHALLENGE PLOT (bu/A) | YC ADVANTAGE (%) | PLACE |
| Bob Jodts | Geneseo | 1 | 88.73 | 89.02 | 0.32 | 1 |
| John Breedlove | Manito | 2 | 56.43 | 68.26 | 20.96 | 1 |
| Brad Crane | Forrest | 2 | 76.16 | 83.7 | 9.90 | 2 |
| Brian Mansfield | Woodson | 3 | 76.4 | 85.7 | 12.17 | 1 |
| Mickey Williams | Arcola | 3 | 82.01 | 90.48 | 10.30 | 2 |
The Side-by-Side contest rewards growers for testing innovative practices in a challenge plot against their regular practices in a standard plot. The grower with the highest percentage yield increase in his or her region will receive $1,000.
The 2018 Double-Crop winners are:
| NAME | CITY | REGION | YIELD (bu/A) | PLACE |
| James Kight-Garlisch | Delavan | 2 | 62.68 | 1 |
| Larry Garlisch | Forest City | 2 | 58.66 | 2 |
| Matt and Mark Krausz | New Baden | 3 | 64.94 | 1 |
| Chad Kuenstler | Olney | 3 | 61.24 | 2 |
The Double-Crop challenge rewards growers who double-crop soybeans after wheat or another crop harvested that same season. First place in each region will receive $1,000.
ISA established the Yield Challenge—funded by the Illinois Soybean Association checkoff program—in 2010 to help build Illinois’ position as a global leader in soybean production. The Yield Challenge is an opportunity for growers to explore different management practices and try new tactics, while learning how to improve sustainability and yield in their fields. The competition challenges soybean farmers throughout the state to try new, innovative techniques to continue improving food production for a growing world.
Yield Challenge winners and top achievers will be recognized in Springfield, Illinois, the evening of Feb. 4, at an Awards Banquet hosted on the eve of the 2019 Soybean Summit at the Crowne Plaza Springfield on Feb. 5.
Illinois Soybean Association
The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development and utilization efforts while the membership program supports the government relations interests of Illinois soybean farmers at the local, state, and national level through the Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG). ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean producers through promotion, advocacy, and education with the vision of becoming a market leader in sustainable soybean production and profitability. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org and www.ilsoygrowers.com.
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