Missouri farmer’s guide to effective soybean trials

By Blake Jackson

For Missouri soybean farmers, success depends on making countless decisions, many of which can determine the outcome of a season.

Increasingly, growers are turning to on-farm research to help make these choices, testing products and practices in real-world conditions to inform their crop plans.

Aaron Porter, a southeast Missouri farmer with over 15 years of experience conducting on-farm trials, emphasizes the importance of this research. “Input suppliers make many claims about why their products will outperform the competition whether it’s seed varieties, crop-protection products, or fertilizers,” Porter said.

“Knowing how they actually perform in our soil and environment gives us the confidence to make decisions by which we can stand.”

One of Porter’s key strategies is conducting a variety of trials each year. These trials, which involve various seed companies, provide an unbiased evaluation of how different seed options perform locally.

“This past season, some of the newer varieties struggled with disease pressure, including anthracnose and phomopsis, after extended wet periods during seedling emergence,” Porter explained. “One variety, forecasted to be widely planted in 2025, failed miserably. Testing it before committing significant acreage was a lesson in why on-farm trials are critical.”

In addition to testing seed varieties, Porter focuses on optimizing nitrogen use in corn. Partnering with Helena and the University of Mississippi, he has designed multi-year trials to refine nitrogen strategies in low-organic soils.

“These trials allow us to fine-tune our nitrogen strategy, applying the right amount at the right time and place to maximize return on investment,” Porter said.

Porter also explores planting earlier soybean maturity groups to spread risk and improve cash flow. “Cutting early beans in late August, ahead of corn harvest, helped spread out the workload and brought in cash flow sooner,” he shared.

For farmers interested in starting their own research, MSMC offers resources like the Missouri Variety Testing Program and the Soybean Research & Information Network.

“I recommend starting small and focusing on a question that’s been gnawing at you,” Porter advised. “Leverage existing research from organizations including MSMC to avoid reinventing the wheel.”

Photo Credit: gettyimages-pablo-rodriguez1