Organic or non-GMO soybean variety trials field day

Help evaluate new soybeans varieties for organic or non-GMO production at a field day Sept. 30, 2015.

Are you interested in new non-GMO soybean varieties that may provide superior quality, yield and other characteristics? Do you want the opportunity to have input into the breeding and advancement of new non-GMO soybean varieties? Michigan State University and Michigan State University Extension are holding an Organic/Non-GMO Soybean Variety Trials Field Day on Sept. 30, 2015.

Come and explore 48 non-GMO soybeans varieties that are being compared under organic production systems in four in-field plot trial locations in Michigan. These varieties are a mix of tried and true brands, new industry releases and experimental lines from university breeding programs.

You are invited to join other organic producers to view and voice your preference about characteristics that are desirable to you, such as pod set, plant height, canopy closure, competitiveness, etc. This information, along with yield, will be useful to identify varieties in the breeding program to move forward for seed production and release. The field day will start at each of the trial locations as follows:

  • Isabella County: 10-11 a.m., 0.2 miles south of E. Bluegrass Road on S. Isabella Road, Mt Pleasant, Michigan
  • Tuscola County: 9-10 a.m., 0.4 miles north of E. Bay City Forestville Road on Remington Road, Unionville, Michigan
  • Lapeer County: 9:30-10:30 a.m., 0.7 miles west of N. Lake Road on Hollenbeck Road, Columbiaville, Michigan
  • Kalamazoo County: 9:30-10:30 a.m., 0.3 miles south of B Avenue on 40th Street, Hickory Corners, Michigan

Select the trial location nearest you, then producers are invited to carpool from their trial location to the MSU Agronomy Farm, just south of Mt. Hope Road on Beaumont Road, Lansing, Michigan, for lunch and a soybean breeding program discussion and tour. For more information and to register, go to the Organic/Non-GMO Soybean Variety Trials Field Day Event page or contact Shelly Sowles at 989-269-9949, ext. 602.

This project is funded through grants from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and the Ceres Trust. For additional information or information about the project, contact me at baas@anr.msu.edu or Bob Battel at battelro@anr.msu.edu

Did you find this article useful?