Arkansas soybean farmers were honored for their winning yields in the Go for the Green Soybean Challenge, Feb. 6, 2024, at the 60th annual meeting of the Arkansas Soybean Association.  

Jeremy Ross, Extension soybean agronomist at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said there were 79 entries in 2023, with 48 of those submitting harvest reports for the competition. He reported that 22 of the 48 finalists, or 45%, achieved soybean yields of 90 bushels or greater. 

“If you look at the overall trend on averages this past year, they were up compared to 2022. I think that is reflective of the environmental conditions we had in 2022,” Ross said. 

“The state average this year is a new state record of 54 bushels per acre. The state average typically reflects the averages we see in the Grow for the Green, and we were up in 2023 compared to 2022. 

Ross announced the top three finalists in each division, noting not every division had three entrants. 

“I highly recommend if you are in one of these areas where there are only one or two winners, next year you may think about throwing your field into the race, because there is still money left on the table,” Ross encouraged. 

Regional Division Finalists 

Plaques and prizes were presented to winners by Arkansas Soybean Association President Derek Helms and Executive Director Dawn Howe. 

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Division One (Northeast Delta) 

Division Two (Northeast) 

Division Three (White River Basin) 

Division Four (Central and Grand Prairie) 

Division Five (East Central Delta) 

Division Six (Southeast Delta) 

Division Seven (Western) 

Division Eight (Conventional) 

New additions to the 100-bushel club 

The 100 Bushel Club was established as part of the soybean challenge in 2013, when three participants broke the 100-bushel barrier. Since then, a total of 35 Arkansas soybean growers have reached that level of production – including two farmers exceeding 100 bushels in 2023. 

The newest 100 Bushel Club inductees were life-long farmers, Jeff Wells and Mark Williams. 

100-BUSHEL CLUB: Greene County farmer, Jeff Wells (left) achieved top yields in the Northeast Delta at 102.424 bushels per acre; Mark Williams (right), farmer in Clay County, achieved 101.611 bushels per acre with top yields in the Northeast district. Photo by: Whitney Haigwood

Wells grows soybeans and corn outside of Paragould, in Greene County. He has entered the yield competition before, taking top honors in the Northeast Division in 2022. Prior to that, his father won in the same division in 2020 and 2021, making this the fourth consecutive district win for the family farm. 

Regarding production, Wells did nothing different in 2023. “Like I always say, there are three things that have got to be good. The good Lord, of course he’s always good, the good weather, and good dirt. That is what it is all about,” Wells said with a big smile. 

For Williams, it was his first-ever Go for the Green entry. Williams grows rice and soybeans in Clay County near the McDougal area.  

“This was our first time to enter. We had made over 100 bushels before and decided to go ahead and enter. The year before last, we actually made better than we did this time,” Williams reported.  

Outside of standard production practices, Williams noted no extraordinary measures on the winning field. He said, “We cut back on our phosphorus and potassium and used chicken litter. We used fungicides and farmed it like we normally do.”  

Once a winner breaks the 100-bushel barrier, their future entries are moved into the Champion of Champions category. Ross said these growers are encouraged to enter their yields, even if they do not anticipate breaking 100 bushels. 

In 2023, Tim Fisher of Cross County broke 100 bushels for the second time in the Champion of Champions division, coming in at 102.090 bushels per acre. 

Also breaking 100 bushels in 2023 were Layne Miles and Matt Miles, achieving the highest overall yields at 115.270 and 110.722 bushels per acre, respectively. While their entries did not make the deadline for cash prizes, they were allowed to submit their yields. This marks the nineth year for Matt Miles to break 100 bushels. 

Gathering top agronomic information 

All Grow for the Green entrants share their production practices and methods in their harvest reporting. Agronomic information from these reports like varieties, planting dates, seeding rates, and application timings can be found on the Arkansas Soybean Promotion website at TheMiracleBean.com. 

Ross congratulated the winners and thanked the many involved in the success of the soybean yield competition. He said, “I want to give a big thank you to Dawn Howe for managing this and keeping everyone on schedule.” 

He also expressed appreciation to Arkansas Cooperative Extension county agents responsible for field judging. “I know this is a big job. It takes several days for all these entries during an especially busy time of the year,” Ross acknowledged. 

Finally, Ross thanked the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board for funding the Grow for the Green Soybean Yield Challenge.