Variety Selection

Most soybean varieties have genetic yield potentials well over 100 bu/acre. A variety's adaptability to the environment and production system where it will be used sets the yield potential of the production system. The quality of weather during the growing season and the stresses from weeds, diseases, and insects determine what the crop yield will be. A variety's performance in a previously conducted yield trial is a measure of its performance in that particular environment and production systems, and does not assure satisfactory performance under a different set of conditions. When a group of varieties is tested for yield over a range of environments, their rank order commonly changes, which indicates that some varieties are better adapted to a specific environment than others. Therefore, it is best to select varieties with characteristics that will help them perform well in the cultural system and environment to be used rather than on their yield record alone.