Shawn Conley, University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension soybean specialist, shares a list of guidelines for entering the 2016 state soybean yield contest. He points out that the contest is sponsored by the Wisconsin Soybean Programs and was organized to encourage the development of new and innovative management practices, and to show the importance of using sound cultural practices in Wisconsin soybean production.

Follow these rules

*Any sound soybean production system can be entered. Two winners will be selected from each of four geographical divisions in Wisconsin (see map). Divisions are based on long-term, 10-year county soybean yield averages.

There is a $75 fee for each entry, which must be postmarked by Aug. 1 to be eligible for the contest.

*To qualify for the 2016 contest, entrants must be at least 14 years old on Aug. 1. More than one person in a family can enter, but each person must have a separate entry form and pay the fee. Any individual contestant may enter more than one entry in the contest.

*The contest field must be located in Wisconsin, and the contest entry must be at least 10 continuous acres of one variety. Contestants may select the best 10 acres in a soybean field larger than 10 acres and enter that variety.

*The variety that is originally entered must be the same variety that is reported on the harvest report form.

The land entered in the contest must be owned or leased by the entrant. The variety entered must be commercially available.

*There is a $75 fee for each entry, which must be postmarked by Aug. 1 to be eligible for the contest. No late entries will be accepted. The entry fee in the form of a personal check must be received with the entry form to be accepted.

*The supervisor’s name must be on the contest entry form, along with his or her title, address, telephone number and email, for the entry to be accepted. The supervisor is responsible for overseeing all of the computations and field measurements and must be present during the harvesting, weighing and moisture testing.

*The contest entry must be harvested in accordance with the harvest procedures set forth by the Wisconsin Soybean Association. Harvest report forms are required to be completed and sent to Conley postmarked no later than seven days after or Nov. 22, whichever date is earlier. It’s the responsibility of the entrants to see that these forms are properly completed and mailed by the deadline.

Awards and recognition

Plaques and cash prizes will be awarded to the first-place ($1,000) and second-place ($500) winners in each geographic division. The winner is the entry that has the highest soybean yield based on bushels per acre at 13% moisture. In the event of a tie, both entrants will be recognized as co-winners.

Each entrant is eligible to win only one plaque and cash prize. If an entrant has two or more entries and all the entries place, a plaque and cash prize will be awarded only for the highest-yielding entry.

Awards will be presented at the Wisconsin Corn/Soybean Expo in Wisconsin Dells in February.

To review other contest and entry qualifications, visit the website coolbean.info, or email Conley at [email protected].