High-Yield Semidwarf Beans Back On The Market

High-Yield Semidwarf Beans Back On The Market CROPS Miscellaneous Semidwarf soybean seed is again available thanks to former USDA soybean breeder Dr Richard L Cooper Cooper first bred the shorter stature beans in the 1970’s to be planted in narrow rows at high populations for higher yields By the time he retired in 2003 he had introduced 15 varieties of sturdy high-yielding semidwarf beans include his last introduction Apex “I ran into industry politics and resistance to change with no one willing to adopt them Farmers have paid the price since then with slower progress to higher yields ” says Cooper “Recently I’ve had contact with half a dozen growers interested in trying them and Apex is now available from a couple of sources ” Ed Winkle HyMark Consulting is an Ohio crop consultant and farmer who tried Apex While all his soybeans did well in 2013 Apex outyielded conventional beans by 5 bu averaging 80 bu /acre “We had 1 000 bu of good seed-quality beans that we offered for sale and we sold out ” says Winkle “There is a lot of demand I plan to offer more seed this coming year ” Winkle says he was offered a $1/bu premium for harvested beans because of their high protein 38 percent and oil 22 to 23 percent levels FHR Inc ’s Genesys Grain Genetics is offering Apex this year In 2013 seed trials the 10-year-old Apex yielded as well as top yielding recent releases A company spokesperson said they are continuing trials this year and have some seed available Cooper developed the semidwarf varieties for highly productive soils where conventional varieties often grow too tall and lodge The short stouter stems of Apex and other semidwarf varieties stand better and are able to handle high populations and narrow rows “I had an Ohio grower who tried them this past year on river bottom soil where he usually has lodging problems ” says Cooper “He reported yields over 90 bu /acre on a 10-acre field ” Cooper emphasizes the need to plant the semidwarf in 7-in rows at 2 bu /acre seeding rates He points to another Ohio grower who tried Apex at a 1 bu seeding rate last year and it yielded in the mid-50’s/acre Cooper also reports an earlier variety called Elf yielding 80 bu /acre in 7-in rows and high seeding rates but only 55 bu /acre at standard seeding rates and 30-in rows “Other researchers insist on trying them in 30-in rows and aren’t impressed with yields ” says Cooper “You need to follow the entire system to get the benefit ” Because of the renewed interest Cooper reports that the Ohio Foundation and Certified Seed Associations are working with Apex once more “In 2015 we will have Apex more widely available ” says Cooper “I hope we will have a group 2 another group 3 and a group 4 semidwarf available in 2015 ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Dr Richard Cooper 303 Miller Lake Rd Wooster Ohio 44691 ph 330 464-8400 - summer; 239 322-4733 - winter; cell 330 845-3269; drlcooper9@gmail com ; or HyMark Consulting LLC 3308 Martinsville Rd Martinsville Ohio 45146 ph 937 728-1478; edwinkle@cinci rr com; www hymark blogspot com ; or Genesys Grain Genetics 2510 Hwy 63 N E P O Box 157 Stewartville Minn 55976 ph 507 533-7855; www genesysgrain com

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