Every field has a test plot. That’s the modus operandi at McBlain Farms.
Tyler McBlain’s grandfather started no-tilling back in the 1980s and was a huge proponent of on-farm testing to determine what agronomic practices work best on the farm and its unique mix of heavy clay and lighter soils.
Over the years, the farm, located southeast of Brantford in Ontario’s Brant County, has gradually moved to a no-till system for soybeans and wheat while corn is now grown in a strip till system. Today, Tyler and his father, Barry, continue the pursuit of best practices to optimize crop performance across the highly variable landscape that they farm.
The McBlains conduct over 100 trials annually, testing variables like population, fertility, fungicide performance, variety and hybrid positioning, as well as evaluating the potential of biologicals. Tyler admits it’s a big job to plan and execute the plots, especially in a tough spring when Mother Nature refuses to co-operate and the crop needs to go in the ground.
The data isn’t always perfect but there’s always valuable insights to help them make better management decisions for their farming environment.
On this episode of the RealAgriculture Soybean School, Tyler shares what he learned in 2024 when he compared the performance of soybean seeded in 30-inch rows versus solid-seeded 7.5-inch rows. In one field, he planted the headlands and small parts of the field with 7.5-inch rows. The meat of the field was then planted with 30-inch rows. He had intended to plant strips of 7.5-inch rows in the centre of the fields but things didn’t work out, as sometimes happens on the farm in the planting crush.
Tyler admits that the final configuration of the plot would prove to be a disadvantage for the solid-seeded beans, which he believes would be hamstrung by the impact of tree effect in headland areas. But things don’t always turn out as expected and Tyler was surprised to see the 7.5-inch beans besting the 30-inch rows by more than a bushel per acre — 70.2 bu/ac compared to 68.6 bu/ac.
Even when the data is not perfect, there’s still lots to learn, says Tyler. Watch the video below.
Tap here for more Soybean School videos.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | All Podcasts
