FIRST Monthly Newsletter | May 2020
6-May-2020 | Issue 1 | www.firstseedtests.com
In This Issue
  • 2019 Recap
  • 2020 Program Overview
  • Planting Progress
  • What to Expect in 2020
Introduction

The 2020 F.I.R.S.T. testing program is organized and running with the support of seed industry sponsors and the United Soybean Board (USB). Despite the extraordinary situation we are all facing with coronavirus restrictions and concerns, agricultural business plows ahead. Planting has begun for FIRST’s full slate of entries, see more below.
2019 Recap

A quick recap of the 2019 season: Yields were down from 2018, though better than expectations, considering persistent spring rains and late planting (see table below). That was followed by early frost and snow at harvest time in some areas. FIRST field managers harvested 302 of 339 planned tests in the challenging 2019 season.  Read more.
May 4, 2020 | FIRST's Kevin Coey and crew planting corn plots on a no-till field into volunteer wheat in Michigan. Background photo © George Amaya.
2020 Planting Progress
Planting progress this spring looks very different from last year. By April 24, 2020, Jason Beyers of FIRST NCB Inc. in Lanark, IL had 21 plots in the ground in Illinois and Wisconsin. FIRST corn plots in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania have been planted as of May 4. Soybean planting is getting started as well, as conditions look favorable this week across much of the Midwest.
2020 FIRST Program Overview

The 2020 FIRST program has a few changes from 2019 such an additional ultra early test in southern Minnesota and soybean testing returning to Ohio Northwest. Other changes meant reducing corn testing in Michigan and North Dakota. Corn silage trials in Pennsylvania continue in 2020. View maps . This year, FIRST will test over 1000 unique corn hybrids and almost 800 soybean varieties.
New Entrants

FIRST would like to welcome new entrants from Burtch Seed, Duracrop, Hi Fidelity Genetics, Midland Genetics, MS Technologies, O’Toole Seed, and Superior Seed. We are grateful for support from a diverse group of companies that choose to enter their products in independent, unbiased testing.


What to Expect from FIRST in 2020

Introducing this, our new monthly newsletter, to keep you up to date with progress, news, and insights from our 20+ year history of accurate yield testing. Feel free to forward to others.

When planting is complete, look for an interactive map of 2020 sites and planting dates on our homepage, www.firstseedtests.com . Use the site's  Product Search to review specific product yield results from 2019, which will include 2020 harvest information this fall. Before fall harvest season, we will be adding features that allow subscribers to our harvest notifications to refine their geography or maturity range choices for email updates.
2020 Packaging and Planting Operations. Photos courtesy of FIRST NCB (IL), FIRST CCB (IA), North Iowa FIRST (IA), Southern Minnesota FIRST (MN) and MNS Seed Testing (SD).

We welcome your feedback or questions about the FIRST program! 

Please contact us at info@firstseedtests.com
Farmers Independent Testing of Seed Technologies (FIRST) www.firstseedtests.com