2017 Pennsylvania Soybean Yield Contest Winners Announced
HARRISBURG, PA (December 28, 2017) – Charles Farms from Lancaster County was the state’s top producer in the 2017 Pennsylvania Soybean Yield Contest, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Soybean Board. Their winning yield was 107.17 bushels per acre.
According to contest coordinator and Penn State Senior Extension Agent Del Voight, two of the contest entrants exceeded 100 bushels per acre. Lebanon County grower Zach Alger also recorded a 100+ bu./acre yields of 101.5 bu./acre.
The mean yield of the contest entrants in 2017 was 80.85 bu./acre, up from the 2016 average of 76.82 bu./acre.
“Growers in the north cited too little rainfall during pod fill as the major issue impacting yields,” says Voight. “Over the 25 years of the contest, the yields reported by the contest participants have increased at a rate of 1.2 bushels per acre per year. This is more than double the state average of .4 bushel per acre increase per year.”
The contest recognized not only the state-wide grand champion, but also the top growers in each of five regions of Pennsylvania, based on maturity maps:
1st Place Overall & South Central Region – Charles Farms (Lancaster, Pa., Lancaster County)
107.17 bu./acre
1st Place Central Region – Jay Arentz (Littlestown, Pa., Adams County) 92.24 bu./acre
1st Place Southeast Region – John Frederick (New Hope, Pa., Bucks County) 83.55 bu./acre
1st Place Northern Region – Scott Snyder (Montoursville, Pa., Lycoming County) 62.37 bu./acre
1st place Western Region – Mike Reskovac (Waltersburg, Pa., Fayette County) 71.08 bu./acre
In addition to the statewide title, Charles Farms was the South Central Region winner, planting Pioneer P31T77 in 7.5” rows following corn. The crop was planted with a drill using no-till techniques on April 20, 2017 at a seeding rate of 192,000 ppa. The field was harvested on September 26, 2017 at 13.3 % moisture. The Charles’ used Pioneer Premium seed treatment, Priaxor fungicide for pest management, and Gly Star K-Plus and FirstRate for herbicides.
Adams County’s Jay Arentz won the top yield honors in the Central Region with 92.24 bu./acre. He planted TA Seeds 2849 RR2 STS. John Frederick, from Bucks County, was the top producer in the Southeast Region. He planted HiSoy 39A22 and yielded 83.55 bu./acre. Scott Snyder of Lycoming County won top honors in the Northern Region. He planted Pioneer 36T86 for a 62.37 bu./acre yield. Mike Reskovac, Fayette County, was the top entrant in the West Tier with 71.08 bu./acre yield with Diehl Fields DF2.6.
As the top state winner, Charles Farms will receive a trip for two to the Commodity Classic, the annual joint convention of the American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, and the National Grain Sorghum Producers, held February 27 – March 1, 2018 in Anaheim, Calif. The Regional winners also receive a trip to the 2018 Commodity Classic.
The contest was launched by the Pennsylvania Soybean Board in 1992. A summary of the crop production practices from the 2017 contest entrants will be available in January at the Pennsylvania Soybean Board booth at the 2018 Keystone Farm Show in York, Pa., and at www.pasoybean.org.
About the Pennsylvania Soybean Board
The Pennsylvania Soybean Board is a farmer-controlled Board responsible for managing Pennsylvania’s share of funds received from the nationwide Soybean Checkoff program. The funding is available under an assessment program, approved by Congress in 1990, under which soybean farmers contribute 50 cents of every $100 they receive for their beans at the first point of sale. Funds are used to develop markets, educate consumers, and research new ways to utilize and produce soybeans more efficiently.