AY-270
Public soybean varieties are developed by Land Grant University Agricultural Research Programs and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and released to the public. Varieties developed in one state are released simultaneously in several states where they are adapted, broadening the choice of highly productive, disease-resistant varieties in each state.
Soybean producers have a wide choice among the many soybean varieties, both public and proprietary, that are offered for sale. Many of these are well-adapted to production in Indiana and have rather similar yield potential in their areas of adaptation within the state. However, these varieties may differ in other important traits than can affect production such as maturity, disease resistance, lodging resistance, or seed size.
This publication summarizes the performance characteristics of most public soybean varieties offered for sale in Indiana. The data are from USDA-Agricultural Research Service and Purdue University Agricultural Research Programs cooperative breeding trials Brief variety descriptions are provided to highlight some of the strengths, weaknesses, and special attributes of each variety (Table 1). Performance data for these varieties are given in Table 2. To compare performance of private soybean varieties refer to Purdue University Agricultural Research Programs Bulletin No. B 725 "Performance of Public and Private Soybeans in Indiana, 1995" which is available from local Purdue Cooperative Extension Offices or the Agricultural Media Distribution Center, 301 South 2nd St., Lafayette, Indiana 47901-1 232.
Tests for variety comparisons were conducted in four-row plots, with data recorded on the center two rows of each plot. All plots were 16 feet in length, but trimmed to 12 feet in length prior to harvest. Row spacing was 24 to 26 inches and three replications of each test were grown in each of the designated years. Plots were kept weed free with pre-plant and post-emergence herbicides and hand weeding as needed. The center two rows of each plot were harvested with a plot combine for yield determinations.
Yield was recorded as grams of seed. air-dried to a uniform moisture content of about 13%, and converted to bushels per acre. Maturity date was recorded as the date when 95% of the pods had their mature color. Normally another week would be required before the plants would be dry enough to combine. Plant height was measured from the soil surface to the tip of the main stem at maturity. Lodging was scored from 1.0, all plants standing erect, to 5.0 all plants lodged flat. Seeds-per-pound were based on the average weight of 100 seeds. Seed quality was scored from 1.0 for very good quality to 5.0 for very poor quality. Protein and oil contents were determined on a 25-gram sample of clean seed by infrared transmittance, at the USDA-ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Illinois.
Archer was developed at the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station and released in 1990. It is a very early maturing Group II variety that has moderately good resistance to brown stem rot, a disease that has become more prevalent in Indiana in recent years. Archer has moderate resistance to lodging and is resistant to all known races of Phytophthora that have been identified in Indiana. It is adapted to production in the northern third of the state.
Burlison was developed by the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station and released in 1988. Burlison is a late Group II variety that combines good yield potential excellent resistance to lodging, and resistance to every race of Phytophthora that has been reported in Indiana. It has averaged slightly higher in seed protein concentration than other Group II varieties. It is adapted to production in the northern half of Indiana. Burlison is sensitive to metribuzin (Lexone, Sencor, Preview); therefore, these herbicides should not be used in its production. The reaction to metribuzin is due to a close linkage of a gene for sensitivity to this herbicide with the Rps 1-b gene for Phytophthora resistance.
Chapman was developed by the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and was released in 1990. It has excellent yield potential and lodging resistance. It is resistant to races 1, 3, and 4 of Phytophthora as well as to additional races yet to be identified. The specific genes for Phytophthora resistance have not been identified in this variety. Chapman is well adapted to production in the northern half of the state.
Kenwood 94 is a backcross derivative of the variety Kenwood developed by the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station and released in 1994. This variety has excellent yield potential, good resistance to lodging, and is resistant to every race except 25 of Phytophthora that has been reported in Indiana. This variety has smaller seed size than other Group II varieties. It is well adapted to production in the northern half of the state.
Edison was developed by the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and released in 1990. It matures about four days later than Resnik and has excellent yield potential and resistance to lodging. Edison has the smallest seed of any Group III variety in these tests. It is resistant to all known races of Phytophthora in Indiana except race 25. This variety is well adapted to production in the central two-thirds of the state.
Harper 87, a backcross derivative of the variety Harper, was developed by the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station, and released for production by Indiana farmers in 1987. It is resistant to every race of Phytophthora that has been reported in Indiana except race 25. Harper combines good yield potential with excellent resistance to lodging. It is well adapted to production in the central two-thirds of Indiana.
Pella 86 was developed in Iowa in cooperation with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. It is a backcross derivative of the very popular variety Pella and is resistant to every race of Phytophthora reported in Indiana, except race 25. Pella 86 has the same gene for Phytophthora resistance as does Kenwood 94, Resnik, and Probst. It is well adapted to production in central Indiana.
Probst was developed the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in cooperation with the Purdue University Agricultural Research Programs and released in 1994. It is a late maturity Group III variety that has excellent yield potential and excellent resistance to lodging. Since Probst has the same gene for Phytophthora resistance as Pella 86, Resnik, and Williams 82, it is resistant to every race except 25 of this pathogen that has been reported in the state.
Resnik, a backcross derivative of the Asgrow variety A3127, was developed by the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and released in 1987. This early Group III variety combines both very good yield with excellent lodging resistance and with resistance to the same races of Phytophthora as Kenwood 94, Pella 86, and Williams 82. Resnik is well-adapted to either row culture or solid seeding in central Indiana.
Thorne was developed by the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and released in 1993. Throne is a mid-Group III variety that has very good yield potential and good resistance to lodging. Like most other Group III varieties, it is resistant to every race, except 25, of Phytophthora that has been reported in Indiana. It is the only Group III variety that has moderately good resistance to brown stem rot. Thorne is well adapted to production in central Indiana.
Williams 82 is a Phytophthora-resistant version of the very popular variety Williams developed by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service and the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station. Williams 82 has good yield potential and is resistant to all Phytophthora races, except 25, that have been reported in Indiana . This tall, late Group III variety has a large canopy and is well-suited for row culture in the southern two-thirds of Indiana. It is less responsive to solid seeding than more compact, early maturing varieties, but is an excellent variety for double-cropping in the southern half of the state.
Yale was developed by the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station and released in 1994. This variety has very good yield potential and is resistant to races 3, 4, and 14 of the soybean cyst nematode (SCN). Yale is the first SCN-resistant variety that has excellent resistance to lodging. Yale is adapted to production in central Indiana and is recommended for production on those soils where soybean cyst nematode infestations have stunted plants or reduced seed yields.
Bronson was developed by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in cooperation with the Purdue university Agricultural Research Programs and was released in 1993. It is a maturity Group IV variety that is resistant to races 3, 4, and 14 of the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) It is also resistant to very virulent strains of SCN that have been identified in Indiana. Bronson has very good yield potential but only fair resistance to lodging. Seedlings of Bronson have shown a resistant reaction to race 1 of Phytophthora. This variety is adapted to production in the southern half of Indiana and is recommended for production in those areas where SCN infestations have stunted plants or reduced seed yields.
Corsica is an early Group IV variety that was developed by the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station and released in 1991. This variety matures three to six days earlier than the Group IV varieties Stressland and Spencer. It has excellent yield potential and excellent resistance to lodging. Corsica does not have any of the known major genes for Phytophthora resistance. It is well adapted to production in the southern half of the state.
Flyer was developed by the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and was released in 1988. Flyer is a backcross derivative of the variety Asgrow A3127 that has similar resistance to Phytophthora rot as Resnik and the Group III backcross-derived varieties. This variety combines good yield potential with excellent resistance to lodging. It is well-adapted to production in the southern half of Indiana.
Spencer was developed by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in cooperation with the Purdue University Agricultural Research Programs and was released in 1988. Spencer combines excellent yield potential with excellent resistance to lodging but has no major genes for resistance to Phytophthora rot. Spencer is well-adapted to production in the southern half of Indiana. This variety is susceptible to sudden death syndrome (SDS) and is not recommended for planting on fields with a history of this disease.
Stressland was developed by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in cooperation with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and released in 1994. It is a mid-Group IV variety that has good resistance to lodging. Stressland has excellent yield potential in environments that subject the variety to stress as well as in highly productive environments. This variety does not have major gene resistance to Phytophthora rot. It is well adapted to production in the southern half of Indiana.
Growth Phytophthora
Variety habit Flower Pubesc. Pod Hilum resistance
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Group II varieties* -------- color ---------- ------- races1 ------
Archer*
Indeterminate Purple Gray Tan Imp.blk.2 1-26
Burlison* Indeterminate White Tawny Tan Black 1-9,11-16,18,21-22,25
Chapman* Indeterminate Purple Gray Brown Imp.blk.2 1,3,4,plus other races
Kenwood 94 Indeterminate Purple Tawny Brown Black 1-11,13-15,17,18,21-24,26
Group III varieties
Edison* Indeterminate Purple Tawny Tan Black 1-11,13-15,17,18,21-24,26
Harper 87* Indeterminate Purple Tawny Brown Black 1-11,13-15,17,18,21-24,26
Pella 86* Indeterminate Purple Tawny Tan Black 1-11,13-15,17,18,21-24,26
Probst* Indeterminate Purple Tawny Tan Black 1-11,13-15,17.18,21-24,26
Resnik* Indeterminate Purple Tawny Tan Black 1-11,13-15,17,18,21-24,26
Thorne* Indeterminate White Tawny Brown Black 1-11,13-15,17,18,21-24,26
Williams 82 Indeterminate White Tawny Tan Black 1-11,13-15,17,18,21-24,26
Yale Indeterminate White Gray Tan Buff None
Group IV varieties
Bronson* Indeterminate White Tawny Tan Black 1
Corsica* Indeterminate Purple Tawny Tan Black None
Flyer* Indeterminate Purple Tawny Tan Black 1-11,13-15,17,18,21-24,26
Spencer* Indeterminate White Tawny Brown Brown None
Stressland Indeterminate Purple Tawny Tan Black None
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1 Races 1,3-5,7-9,13,21,22,and 25 have been reported in Indiana.
2 Imperfect black
*Varieties protected under the Plant Variety Protection Act.
Plant Seeds Seed
Yield Mature height Lodging per lb. quality Protein Oil
Variety bu/a date inches score1 no. score2 % %
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Group II varieties at Bluffton, 1993-1994, and Lafayette, 1992-1995;
average date planted May 17.
Archer 46.7 9-11 34 1.7 2730 1.3 41.3 20.7
Burlison 48.9 9-17 31 1.4 2550 1.0 43.6 19.9
Chapman 50.4 9-17 32 1.4 2540 1.1 42.4 21.0
Kenwood 94 52.7 9-13 32 1.8 3010 1.3 41.3 20.7
LSD 0.10 3.4 3 1 0.3 130 0.2 0.8 0.6
Group Ill varieties at Bluffton, 1992-1994, Lafayette, 1992-1995, and
Vincennes, 1992-1994; average date planted May 19.
Edison 51.5 9-26 34 1.4 3060 1.2 41.2 20.7
Harper 87 49.2 9-27 36 1.5 2550 1.2 41.2 20.9
Pella 86 46.7 9-25 35 1.5 2560 1.2 41.4 21.2
Probst 54.1 9-25 34 1.5 2900 1.2 41.5 20.5
Resnik 51.0 9-21 33 1.4 3040 1.0 42.1 20.8
Thorne 54.1 9-25 33 1.6 2540 1.2 42.6 20.8
Williams 82 51.4 9-29 39 1.9 2680 1.0 41.9 20.8
Yale 49.8 9-28 35 1.5 2930 1.1 41.9 21.0
LSD 0.10 4.3 2 2 0.3 100 0.2 0.4 0.3
Group IV varieties at Lafayette, 1993-1995, and Vincennes, 1993-1994;
average date planted May 23.
Bronson 56.8 10-4 44 2.2 2650 1.2 42.5 20.1
Corsica 53.0 9-27 39 1.5 2790 1.3 42.7 20.2
Flyer 50.5 9-27 38 1.6 3200 1.3 43.4 20.5
Spencer 52.4 10-3 40 1.4 2480 1.7 43.3 20.7
Stressland 56.8 9-30 43 1.7 3120 1.3 42.8 20.7
LSD 0.10 7.8 4 2 0.4 250 0.7 1.0 0.5
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1 Lodging score is from 1 (all plants erect) to 5 (all plants lodged flat).
2 Seed quality score is from 1 (very good) to 5 (very poor).
Rev 2/97
Cooperative Extension work in Agriculture and Home Economics, State of Indiana, Purdue University and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating: H.A. Wadsworth, Director, West Lafayette, IN. Issued in furtherance of the acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914. The Cooperative Extension Service of Purdue University is an equal opportunity/equal access institution.