Many soybean maturity groups are grown successfully across North Carolina (MGIII-MGVIII). This coupled with rapid turnover of soybean varieties due to ever changing trait packages makes soybean variety selection in North Carolina a challenge. This project sought to help growers with the challenge of variety selection by enhancing the grower/Agent relationship through amplified on-farm testing that ultimately enabled growers with a larger toolset for variety
selection. In 2019 and 2020, replicated, agent-led soybean variety trials were conducted across North Carolina to provide producers with localized variety selection data that complimented the data generated from the Official Variety Testing Program. Data was successfully collected and summarized at some locations. Information was well received by growers and industry professionals. Agents have recognized the value of conducting replicated variety trials through
this initiative and we already have ten County Extension Agents intending on conducting replicated soybean variety trials in 2021.