David Moseley and Tristan Watson, LSU AgCenter Scientists

Article Highlights:

• The LSU AgCenter evaluates soybean varieties through both replicated research station trials and on-farm demonstrations to provide regionally relevant performance data.
• Farmers are encouraged to select varieties that perform consistently across multiple environments and years to improve yield stability.
• In 2025, variety testing included evaluations for yield and abiotic/biotic stress resistance across diverse Louisiana environments and soil types.

Selecting the most well-adapted and high-yielding soybean varieties is one of the most critical decisions a farmer makes each year. To support this decision, the LSU AgCenter conducts Official Variety Trials (OVT) and on-farm Core-block demonstration plots, providing unbiased performance data to aid in variety selection. These trials are planted across multiple research stations and producer farms throughout the state, allowing data collection in diverse environmental conditions.

When choosing a variety, it is important for farmers to consider how it performs in environments similar to their own, as well as across a range of conditions. Varieties that consistently perform well across multiple locations and years are generally considered to have greater performance stability.

Official Variety Trial

The 2025 OVT included varieties with maturity groups ranging from 4.0 – 5.7. The maturity groups are divided into sections including 4.0 – 4.4; 4.5 – 4.7; 4.8 – 4.9; 5.0 – 5.3; and 5.4 – 5.7, and there were 10, 19, 28, 4, and 7 varieties submitted to the maturity group sections, respectively. Ten seed companies and one soybean breeding program participated in the 2025 OVT. The varieties consisted of several different herbicide technologies. The trial was replicated at seven research stations across the state in different soil types including fine sandy loam, silt loam, and silty clay. At each location, the varieties were replicated four times.

On-farm Core-block Demonstration Plots

In addition to the OVT, the LSU AgCenter collaborates with soybean farmers to evaluate soybean varieties directly on farms. For the Core-block demonstration program, the LSU AgCenter parish agents cooperate with farmers to plant, maintain, and harvest strip trials submitted by seed companies and university soybean breeding programs. These demonstrations provide valuable data from across the state and in local growing conditions and agronomic practices.

In 2025, six seed companies submitted varieties to be evaluated in the Core-block demonstrations. Twenty-five demonstrations were planted across 11 parishes. The number of demonstrations for each MG section were 5, 12, and 8 for the MG sections of 4.1 to 4.4; 4.5 to 4.9, and 5.0 to 5.5, respectively. The number of varieties submitted for each MG were five (MG 4.1 to 4.4), eleven (MG 4.5 to 4.9) and five (MG 5.0 to 5.5).

In addition to on-farm variety trials that focus on yield, a total of eight varieties (seven entered as resistant and one susceptible) from three companies were entered into the nematode resistance screening trial. The varieties were planted in three parishes (Franklin, Tensas, and Bossier) in fields known to have nematode pressure. Data included nematode assays and yield. To complement this trial, a replicated small-plot trial was also planted. Several soil and plant samples as well as greenhouse trials were conducted to determine the level of resistance for each variety.

Figure 1: A soybean variety showing early senescence due to root-knot nematode feeding in a field near Bossier City, LA during the 2025 growing season. Photo credit: Tristan Watson.

Figure 2: A soybean variety showing a patchy stand, stunting of growth, and early chlorosis at a root-knot nematode infested field near Bossier City, LA during the 2025 growing season. Photo credit: Tristan Watson.

Figure 3: A mature root-knot nematode female excised from within soybean roots showing galling symptoms at a root-knot nematode infested field near Bossier City, LA during the 2025 growing season. Photo credit: Tristan Watson.

Variety Testing and On-farm Demonstration Results

The performance data from the soybean OVT and on-farm demonstrations will be published by the LSU AgCenter in the annual soybean variety testing summary. Maturity date, height, lodging, and disease reaction information from the OVT will also be included. The 2025 OVT results will be published following harvest to assist with 2026 variety selections and planting decisions.

The variety publication for previous growing seasons (and the 2025 growing season when available) can be found at LSU AgCenter Soybean Variety Data.

For More Information on Soybean Variety Testing and Selection

The article Using Variety Testing Data to Select Soybean Varieties: Guidelines for Practitioners was published in Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management. This article presents practical methods for evaluating soybean varieties through both replicated small-plot trials and unreplicated on-farm demonstrations. It highlights the value of assessing variety performance across a range of environmental conditions and features examples from Louisiana-based trials. Additionally, it discusses key stress tolerance traits, including chloride toxicity and resistance to nematodes.