2025 proved to be a truly unusual year for Indiana’s corn and soybean crops, with growers facing a rollercoaster of weather and uneven yields that kept farmers and researchers on their toes.
Early in the season, unusually cool and wet conditions delayed planting and emergence across much of the state, with spotty fields and lingering mud making progress tougher than usual. As the year went on, prolonged dry spells in late summer contributed to drought stress, leaving some soybeans maturing unevenly and reducing yield potential in parts of the state.
“Scattered across Ohio and Indiana. I believe we had 25, replicated research locations last year. And of those 25, there’s only one that was really rough that the data, you know, the, CVS were too high and the data wasn’t very good. But the other 24 we had, the data was very consistent.” Said Todd Jeffries, Vice President of Seed Genetics Direct.
Amid the challenges, Seed Genetics Direct stepped up efforts to gather crucial data to help farmers prepare for 2026 and beyond. They conducted extensive field tests of seed varieties across variable conditions, providing growers with real-world performance data on hybrid corn and soybean genetics. These on-farm trials offered insights into which genetics held up best under the erratic weather of 2025.
Jeffries added, “Just like we expect some of our newer hybrids we were excited about where near the top, you know, 2111, which is our top selling corn hybrid. It was in the top 20%, whether it was in a rough, low yield environment or whether it was a high yield environment. But those plots, they tell you a lot and they also make you want to learn more.”
Jeffries says the lessons learned this season will be invaluable for navigating the unpredictable conditions for 2026.
