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Elite yields hinge on weather and fertility

A south-central Minnesota farmer says matching last year’s 90-plus bushel soybean yields mostly hinges on the right combination of fertility and weather.

Tom McCue of Green Isle won the 2016 Asgrow Yield contest in Minnesota averaging more than 94 bushels per acre.

He tells Brownfield growing conditions were excellent and a keen understanding of his soil nutrients certainly helped too.

“We get a good (soil) sample every couple years and try to keep our P & K levels at max so in the good years they can really shine.  And every four years we send samples to the Minnesota Valley Testing Laboratory and they let us know what we have.”

McCue says good weather and fertilization weren’t the only contributing factors, however.

“We treat everything with a fungicide and try to match the right variety to the type of ground each farm has.”

McCue, who hit 94.1 bushels per acre using the Asgrow AG19-35 variety a year ago, says timely planting is also important for maximizing soybean yields.