True Grit Enlist Soybean Trial | Argyle, MN | Planted May 13, 2025 | Harvested October 3, 2025
1.3 inches of rain in August. Iron deficiency chlorosis flaring everywhere.
Then an early frost, because why not pile it on?
This wasn't a growing season. It was an elimination round.
Fourteen soybean varieties entered. Some shrugged it off. Some struggled. And a few never recovered.
Let's see who's still standing.
THE TRIAL SETUP
Soil: Hegne-Fargo silty clays (8.1+ pH), recent spent lime application added carbonates
Soil Test: 12 lbs nitrate, 5 ppm Olsen P, 303 ppm K
IDC Pressure: Heavy from V3 through R4
Rainfall: 12.3” total (only 1.3” in August—brutal)
Fertility: 3 gal Nachurs Soyburst (3-18-18) & BLUEPRINT in furrow + SOURCE DC (foliar @R2)
Row spacing: 22” | Seeding rate: 135K/ac
THE RESULTS
Plot Mean: 41.32 bu/acre
Spread: 18.26 bushels from top to bottom.
This isn't about "our brand versus theirs." This is about what happens when you throw genetics at unforgiving conditions and see what survives.
This is dependable ground. High organic matter. Good structure.
However, we planted on May 13 in 102-degree heat with hurricane-force winds. Froze once more that spring.
Limited but timely rains all summer. Never enough to charge the profile.
August drought. Early September frost.
These beans went to hell and back.
Most companies plant variety trials on the tenderloin of the field. Not us. Whether it's intentional or not, our plots go through the ringer. When pH is above eight and nothing goes right, you learn which genetics can handle it.
Some can. Some can't.
FULL DISCLOSURE
We tested these 14 varieties in 2025, but for 2026, True Grit is 100% Champion. We're no longer carrying Peterson or Impact genetics.
That's not because they're bad genetics—you can see from the trial that competing varieties performed well. It's a business decision based on service, support, and what works best for our soil type and customer base.
I'm sharing the complete trial data, including all competitor names, because transparency is important.
THE VISUAL PROOF
Same soil. Same planting date. Same fertility.
Champion 0494EN (right) stayed green. Impact 05E453N (left) turned yellow—full-on chlorotic.
By R1, Impact varieties were starting to recover. But they'd lost 2-3 weeks of growth.
Some never caught up at all.
Champion (left) ready to combine. Impact (right) still green; another week to go. In frost country, that's a problem.
Champion 0645EN (0.6 RM) was ready September 22, right on schedule.
Impact 05E435N (0.5 RM) should've been ready by September 20, but was still green at harvest. Two weeks behind.
This wasn't an isolated case—several Impact varieties in the trial matured late.
In Northwest Minnesota, that's expensive. Delayed maturity means frost risk. Later harvest means higher moisture (Impact 07E165N came off at 22%).
And stress recovery time? That's yield loss you can't get back.
WHY THIS HAPPENED
This isn't about Impact making bad beans. They make solid genetics.
When pH is above 8 and it's dry, iron locks up. Your soil test shows plenty, but the plant can't access it.
Champion and Peterson varieties handled it. Strong IDC tolerance, quick recovery, and on-schedule maturity. 6-8 bushel advantage.
Impact varieties struggled. Moderate IDC tolerance meant weeks of yellowing at V4-V6, delayed maturity, 5-12 bushel yield penalty.
On non-limed ground with good moisture? Impact varieties probably close that gap.
But on high-pH dirt in a dry year? Genetics mattered more than management.
THE SOLUTION WE'RE TESTING: GREEN LOOP
Traditional IDC solutions have problems. SoyGreen works, but it stains everything, clogs nozzles, and costs almost $30/acre.
Foliar iron is a band-aid.
Planting only IDC-tolerant varieties limits your options.
What we tested in 2025: Green Loop—a liquid iron chelate. Ran 32 oz/acre foliar at V4 to test handling. Didn't clog nozzles. No mess. No greenup from foliar, but in-furrow is where it's designed to work.
Why in-furrow: Iron available from Day 1. Cycles from soil to plant throughout the season. Farmers south of here who ran it in-furrow had beans the color we wished ours looked.
The 2026 trial: Champion varieties with and without Green Loop in-furrow (1 pt/acre and 1 qt/acre rates) on limed ground.
We'll measure early-season color, maturity timing, and final yield.
The question: Can in-furrow iron eliminate IDC stress on high-pH ground?
If it works: Greener beans and higher yields on high-carbonate ground.
If not: We save the $15-20/acre. Variety selection stays the play.
Either way, I'll share the data.
WHY I'M TELLING YOU THIS:
Yes, we'll carry Green Loop in 2026.
So why tell you about a trial we haven't run yet?
Because that's how this works. I'm not asking you to buy something unproven. I'm showing you the problem, what we tested, what others reported, and what we're testing next.
If it works, we’ll sell it with confidence. If it doesn't, I'll tell you that too.
THE BOTTOM LINE
On naturally high-pH, limed ground, genetics matter.
Champion 0645EN, 0275EN, and 0494EN handled high pH, heavy IDC pressure, and drought stress.
Peterson 25EN07 and 25EN05 were top-tier performers.
Impact varieties struggled in this environment—not bad beans, just not the right fit for carbonate-rich soil.
The 2026 Green Loop trial will tell us if in-furrow iron can keep our beans green and push yields even higher on limed ground.
Full trial data spreadsheet: [email protected]
Want to trial Green Loop in-furrow on your ground in 2026? Reply and we'll set it up together.
Got questions about IDC management or variety selection? Reply to this email. I read every one.