It took triple digits to win the Missouri Soybean Association’s annual yield contest this year. Two farmers, both from southeastern Missouri, surpassed the 100-bushel mark with yields of 101.17 and 100.30 bushels per acre, respectively. All six of Missouri’s statewide honorees had soybean yields above 90 bushels per acre, and 28 different entries topped 80 bushels per acre.
The contest’s top honors go to Jerry Cox, of Delta, who raised 101.17 bushel per acre soybean in Cape Girardeau County. Cox’s outstanding yield came Pioneer P48A60X soybean seed under irrigation. The other triple-digit yield, also grown under irrigation, was entered by Rick and Cody Branch of Gideon. The New Madrid County farmers used Asgrow AG38X6 to reach their 100.30 bushels per acre harvest.
“Innovation and stewardship are key to success in the field, and it is great to see the results of those commitments among the growers in Missouri’s annual soybean yield contest,” said Matt McCrate, a southeast Missouri farmer and president of the Missouri Soybean Association. “The emphasis on friendly competition at the district and statewide levels is outstanding, as are these yields. Thank you to all our participants, contest officials and partners who make this annual event possible.”
The Missouri Soybean Association’s yield contest is made possible by generous contributions from the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council and soybean checkoff, Asgrow, Baker Implement Company, Beck’s Hybrids, Legacy Equipment, Lewis Hybrids, Merschman Seeds, Missouri Crop Improvement Association, NuTech Seed, ProHarvest Seeds, DuPont Pioneer, and Sydenstricker John Deere.
Winners will be recognized at district soybean meetings in early 2018, with the statewide winners recognized during the Missouri Soybean Association annual meeting in Jefferson City at the end of January. Winners are listed below, along with the seed variety used to reach their top-tier yields.
Statewide Winners – Irrigated Soybeans
| Entry | Community | County | Variety | Yield (bu/ac) | |
| 1st | Jerry Cox | Delta | Cape Girardeau | Pioneer P48A60X | 101.17 |
| 2nd | Rick & Cody Branch | Gideon | New Madrid | Asgrow AG38X6 | 100.30 |
| 3rd | Kent Kellenberger | Lamar | Barton | Pioneer P38T20X | 98.48 |
Statewide Winners – Non-Irrigated Soybeans
| Entry | Community | County | Variety | Yield (bu/ac) | |
| 1st | Bradley Gillum | Green Castle | Putnam | Stine 36LE32 | 98.02 |
| 2nd | Curt Kellenberger | Lamar | Barton | Pioneer P37T32X | 95.42 |
| 3rd | Thomas White III | Norborne | Carroll | Pioneer P45T48R | 92.97 |
Thanks to the partnership of the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, and industry partners, prizes including a trip to the 2018 Commodity Classic in Anaheim, their own UAV – drone – and accessories, and gift cards to Cabela’s and for biodiesel – will be awarded to statewide winners. District winners in each category will also receive their choice of $750 in biodiesel or in Cabela’s gift cards.
District Winners – Conventional Till Soybeans
| Entry | Community | County | Variety | Yield (bu/ac) | |
| 1 | Stanley Bird | Maysville | DeKalb | Pioneer P37T09L | 80.60 |
| 2 | Bradley Gillum | Green Castle | Putnam | Stine 36LE32 | 98.02 |
| 3 | Christy Nelson | Vandalia | Ralls | Credenz CZ 3841 LL | 78.43 |
| 4 | Curt Kellenberger | Lamar | Barton | Pioneer P37T32X | 95.42 |
| 5 | Brian D. Martin | Centralia | Boone | Asgrow AG45X6 | 73.62 |
| 6 | Adam Bonderer | West Alton | St. Charles | Asgrow AG38X6 | 77.20 |
| 7 | Hinkebein Farms C&G | Chaffee | Cape Girardeau | Asgrow AG4835 | 90.82 |
District Winners – No-Till Soybeans
| Entry | Community | County | Variety | Yield (bu/ac) | |
| 1 | Gary Waller | Faucett | Buchanan | Asgrow AG38X6 | 72.31 |
| 2 | Bradley Gillum | Green Castle | Putnam | Stine 42LI32 | 89.70 |
| 3 | David Wiggins | Memphis | Scotland | Lewis 3872X | 73.91 |
| 4 | Jeremy Thomas | Rocky Comfort | McDonald | Asgrow AG48X7 | 88.14 |
| 5 | Brian D. Martin | Centralia | Boone | Asgrow AG4135 | 61.74 |
| 7 | Carl Landewee | Chaffee | Cape Girardeau | Asgrow AG47X6 | 86.75 |
Missouri’s record statewide average soybean harvest is 50 bushels per acre, set in 2016, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Participants in the Missouri Soybean Yield Contest were required to enter their fields into the competition prior to harvest. The 2017 entry deadline was September 1. At harvest, participants were required to have a designated judge verify their yield results for the competition and to submit their verified results no later than November 15.
Contest rules are posted online at mosoy.org. Details for the Missouri Soybean Association’s 2018 Yield Contest will be posted online at mosoy.org and announced in Missouri Soybean Farmer magazine during the spring of 2018.