6 Tips for Higher Soybean Yields: World Record Holder Alex Harrell Shares Secrets to High-Yielding Soybeans

By Jason Jenkins DTN Crops Editor, Copyright DTN, LLC. Used by permission

In 2024, USDA estimated the national soybean yield average at 51.7 bushels per acre (bpa), yet there are growers who routinely double this yield. And on one farm in southeast Georgia, that average has been quadrupled.

As the current world record holder, Georgia farmer Alex Harrell knows what it takes to unleash the yield potential of soybeans. (Photo by David Parks)

During the past two years, Alex Harrell of Leesburg, Georgia, has gained recognition for unleashing the yield potential of his beans. In 2023, he became the first soybean grower to exceed 200 bpa with a plot that yielded 206.7997 bpa; and this year, he broke his own record with a yield of 218.2856 bpa.

During a recent webinar, Harrell joined Pioneer’s Mary Gumz, agronomy innovation leader for the Eastern commercial unit, and discussed steps that farmers can take to realize higher soybean yield potential in their fields.… Continue reading