Soybean seed marketers are already preparing for a 2015 acreage shift from corn to soybeans in the Northeast. That comes after a huge uptick in harvested soybean acres in New York and Pennsylvania. New York's 2014 harvested acres, for instance, jumped 43%.

Seed companies were asked to share details on their top five varieties adapted for the Northeast. With that definition, they could offer top existing varieties or new introductions for 2015. Most notable is that the genetic packages are boosting stronger weed and disease protection.

EARLER AND BETTER? This year's "top picks" seem to be shifting toward earlier maturing varieties than last year.

1st Choice Seeds
* FB 3122 R2Y: It's a dominant, tall, early Group 3 variety that delivered huge yields in our elite trials before its 2014 launch. This variety exhibits strong standability and semi-bush to fill all row widths. It has BSR resistance plus very good emergence and the C gene for PRR

* FB 3555 C STS: This high-yielding conventional soybean is new for 2015 and has excellent standability, excellent SDS defense, the PRR K gene plus very good PRR field tolerance.

* FC 3605 LL:  A perfect choice for average and above average fields, this semi-bush high-performer is the newest LibertyLink variety. The mid-Group 3 bean features the PRR K gene, strong SCN defense and is stacked with STS. 

* FB 3822 R2Y: Very versatile for all Group 3 growers, this late Group 3 variety is early to canopy, carries R3 and MR14 for SCN, the PRR C gene plus has good field tolerance scores. Target to average and above average soils for bin-busting yields.

* FB 4322 R2Y: New for 2015, this Group 4.3 variety has excellent SDS, very good on Frog Eye, PRR A gene plus great PRR field tolerance to protect yields.  It's a tall, light tawny brown plant type.

Asgrow
* AG2031: It's a Roundup Ready 2 Yield, 2.0 maturity bean with excellent defensive characteristics allowing for wide adaptation and proven top-end yield potential.  It also has exceptional late-season standability for high-production acres.

* AG2431: This RR2Y product brings proven consistency and excellent no-till adaptability to the mid-Group 2 maturity.  Strong defensive characteristics such as BSR resistance allow for reliable top-end yield potential.

* AG3334: The RR2Y 3.3 maturity variety is widely adapted for most soils, rotations, and practices throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. It brings very good standability and yield potential for productive acres, plus tall plant height and yield stability for lower producing areas.

* AG3832: For most Mid-Atlantic acres, this RR2Y 3.8 maturity bean brings top-end yield potential.  It has excellent growth potential for the toughest sands and clays with outstanding standability for the most productive loams where lodging could be an issue.  * AG4232: With its RR2y/STS stack for herbicide flexibility, this widely adapted 4.2 maturity plant has tremendous growth potential for tougher soils where strong growth and tall height is needed. The attractive, tall, light tawny plant is consistent in all row widths.

Channel
* 2108R2: The broadly adapted 2.1 maturity group product is a good fit for no-till. It has an excellent defensive package with SCN, PRR, WM and SDS tolerance.

* 2306R2: A robust defensive package teams up with strong performance genetics to make this Group 2.3 bean fit most row widths, soils and no-till.

* 2903R2: Top-end yield response plus a good defensive disease package make this 2.9-maturity variety good for most row widths, more productive soils and no-till. It's a good choice for BSR- and SDS-prone fields.

* 3207R2: This is a broadly adapted SCN line with a strong defensive package and stress tolerance. The 3.2-maturity seedbean is productive in multiple row widths with stronger performance in loam soil types. Avoid areas prone to Frogeye leaf spot or use a fungicide to manage it.

* 3707R2/SR: Sulfonylurea herbicide tolerance stacked with SCN and very good stem canker tolerance makes this 3.7-maturity bean productive in multiple row widths, with strongest potential in clay/loam soils. Again, avoid areas prone to FELS or use a fungicide.

DuPont/Pioneer
* P13T99R: It's an early Group 1 T-series soybean offering strong yield potential for earlier environments and/or early harvest. Competitive resistance to PRR and WM, coupled with nice stature, provide a desired agronomic package.

* P22T41R2: This exciting new early Group 2 T-series variety has the Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield trait, plus proven strong emergence and excellent harvest standability. 

* P32T25R2: The new, versatile, early Group 3 T-series variety carries the Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield trait for weed control. And its 1k PRR resistance gene boosts the nice agronomic package with strong emergence and harvest standability.

* P33T72R: It's a yield-leading early Group 3, T-series variety with SCN resistance, 1k PRR gene, and average SDS and WM tolerance.  Aggressive and excellent stand establishment makes this bean a good fit for early planting.

* P34T90PR: This new, mid-Group 3 Plenish high-oleic soybean has SCN resistance, 1k PRR resistance gene plus above average SDS tolerance.

Growmark FS
* HiSOY 24A44: This is a new 2.4-maturity variety offering outstanding yields, good white mold protection plus good standability in high yielding environments of Pennsylvania and New York. It has outstanding emergence scores.

* HiSOY 30A44: New to the line-up is this Group 3 bean with SCN and PRR protection – meant for high-yield environments. With great standability and harvestability under lush growing conditions, it's well adapted to central and southeast Pennsylvania and central New Jersey.

* HiSOY 33A44: A new standout for Pennsylvania and New Jersey, it's a top-yielding Group 3 soybean known for its branching architecture and fast emergence and strong BSR resistance.

* HiSOY 39A22: A great choice for full season and double crop, the 3.9-maturity bean offers superior performance across southwestern Pennsylvania.  Great standability and harvestability in high yield environments plus SCN protection help it dominate the GFS testing program.

* HiSOY 42T14: This early Group 4 Roundup Ready/sulfonylurea-tolerant stacked bean is ready for the Delmarva with its broad soil type adaptation. It has very good SCN and PRR resistance and is an attractive tawny plant type with a branching fast-filling canopy.

Mycogen
* 5N182R2: A taller plant with excellent standability, this late Group 1 variety features tolerance to SCN, BSR and iron deficiency chlorosis. It branches well to fit across all soil types.

* 5N244R2: A fuller canopy allows this Group 2 plant to handle variable soils. It performs well from west to east with best performance on tougher ground with wide rows and conventional tillage.

* 5N286R2: The agronomic package of this Group 2 variety handles a wide range of environments and soil types with excellent stress tolerance and yield potential.

* 5N343R2: This mid-Group 3 variety features a tall plant type with good standability and stress tolerance. It works well in all row widths, planting practices and soil types, even where SDS is problematic.

* 5N387R2: Handling stress well and very good SDS tolerance, this Group 3 variety is a full plant that works well in all row widths and soil types, and is broadly adapted from the Midwest to the East Coast.

Seedway
* SG 1932: This late Group 1 soybean with Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield genetics has top-notch defense against disease pressure, plus excellent stress tolerance and good standability. It's an outstanding yield performer across New York. 

* SG 2125: It's an early Group 2 with great yield potential, Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield genetics plus a complete disease package for white mold, BSR, phytophthora root rot, SDS and soybean cyst nematode.  It's rated very good for emergence and standability. 

* SG 2443: This mid-Group 2 has the same Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield package for top-end yield potential, excellent standability plus white mold tolerance. It's widely adapted across many growing areas and conditions. 

* SG 3036: The early-Group 3 bean also has the Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield package, plus outstanding yield potential and standability . It's broadly adapted and a great choice for high management acres. 

* SG 3322: With its Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield genetics, this early-Group 3 brings top-end yield potential, exceptional stress tolerance, good standability and disease protection to every field.

Syngenta/NK
* S27-J7: This 2.7-maturity group rated variety with an excellent disease package and outstanding sudden death syndrome resistance is a yield leader in this maturity. Strong emergence and vigor make it a great choice for no-till.

* S29-G4: With a 2.9 maturity group rating, it's a tall, rugged plant type with strong emergence. STS technology provides herbicide options to help manage tough weeds. It handles stress well, and is a great choice for double-crop acres.

* S31-R2: This 3.1 maturity bean has a medium plant height plus outstanding stress tolerance, along with an excellent disease package with excellent brown stem rot ratings and very good SDS resistance. It's an attractive looking bean at harvest.

* S35-A5: It's a tall 3.5 maturity bean with very good standability. It works across a wide range of soil types and has strong emergence and early vigor, making it a great no-till choice.

* S40-N2: The 4.0-maturity soybean offers top-end yields and excellent standability, plus very good stress tolerance along with excellent Frog Eye and SDS protection. It works best in 15-inch to 7-inch row spacings.