FIRST trials 2025 Program Guide

2025 FIRST Program Guide

We are proud to bring you the 2025 Farmers' Independent Research of Seed Technologies (FIRST) variety trials program. FIRST's independent trials provide unbiased information about the yield performance of America's top corn and soybean seed brands. Please view the products tested this year, review our testing procedures, and region test plans for 2025.

Corn Trial at Cairo, MO in May 2025. Photo courtesy of Bill Schelp, FIRST MSR, Inc.

2025 Products Tested Listings

Comprehensive listings of hybrids and varieties in the 2025 FIRST trials.

The 2025 Products Tested Directories are available below, and include full contact details for each of our sponsor and participant brands. See what new seed products our sponsors have entered in this year's tests. Each hybrid and variety that has been tested by FIRST in previous seasons is highlighted with a link to its individual Product Report.

Note that seed that has been entered by FIRST as a check (CK) in split maturity tests or as a grower comparison (GC) are designated with those abbreviations. FIRST includes these brands to strengthen results and is not compensated for the seed and field work for CK and GC products.

Corn Hybrids PDF Soybeans Varieties PDF There are no Corn Silage trials in 2025.

Testing Objectives and Procedures

FIRST provides a fair and objective platform under a uniform testing standard to compare seed productivity in a multitude of soil and growing conditions across 15 states. This year, over 2,000 seed products from over 70 seed companies were tested across 65 distinct growing regions. These replicated tests are conducted on over 300 farms, so that producers and ag professionals can better match seed performance with particular growing conditions. FIRST’s work relies on collaborations between cooperating farmers, sponsoring seed companies, FIRST Field Managers and publishing partners. FIRST is grateful for the opportunity to work with the agricultural community. The continuing goal of the program is to deliver of timely, unbiased comparisons of innovative seed genetics to improve yield and profitability for American farmers.

More information on testing procedures, measurements, and reporting are available at these links: Corn Grain Soybeans Corn Silage

2025 Region and Location Details

FIRST trials are arranged in regions of several contiguous counties, with 5-6 plot locations for corn grain and 4 locations for soybeans and corn silage that are representative of the area. Each seed entered in the region is tested at all locations in order to provide 18-20 small plot observations in the entire region.

FIRST encourages you to use the Region Summary Reports published after all locations are harvested to evaluate the best performances across a range of locations and environments.

Region test plans with the maturity ranges are listed below. Tests are often split into different maturity ranges.

Maturity tests are abbreviated as:

  • "u" for ultra-early maturity
  • "a" for early-season
  • "b" for late-season
  • "l" for ultra-late maturity
Location Details are listed on each crop Reports page. Jump to the location list and interactive maps from here:
2025 Corn Grain region boundaries with test maturities listed
2025 Soybeans region boundaries with test maturities listed
Corn Grain Regions
See the ARCHIVE page for Locations and Products Tested in each region.
Maturity Range per Test
StateRegionManagerAll/UE (u)Early (a)Full (b)UL (l)
IAIAECIowa East CentralRandy Meinsma--105 - 110111 - 115--
IAIANCIowa North Central
Ed Dahle
95-100101 - 106107 - 111--
IAIANWIowa Northwest
Nick Hoffman
95-100101 - 106107 - 111--
IAIASOIowa SouthRandy Meinsma--106 - 111112 - 116--
IAIAWCIowa West CentralRandy Meinsma--105 - 110111 - 115--
ILILECIllinois East CentralNathan Roux--105 - 111112 - 116--
ILILNOIllinois NorthNathan Roux101 - 106107 - 110111 - 114--
ILILSOIllinois SouthKlint Tucker--107 - 112113 - 117--
ILILWCIllinois West CentralNathan Roux--105 - 111112 - 116--
ININCEIndiana CentralKlint Tucker--105 - 110111 - 114--
ININNOIndiana NorthMatt Turner--103 - 108109 - 112--
ININSOIndiana SouthKlint Tucker--107 - 113114 - 120--
KSKSCEKansas CentralMelissa Nelson--107 - 112113 - 117--
KSKSNEKansas NortheastAdam Stuteville--107 - 112113 - 117--
MIMISOMichigan SouthMatt Turner--97 - 103104 - 107--
MNMNSEMinnesota SoutheastMark Querna92 - 9697 - 102103 - 107--
MNMNSWMinnesota SouthwestMark Querna--97 - 102103 - 107108 - 112
MNMNWCMinnesota West CentralEd Dahle--93 - 9899 - 102--
MOMOCEMissouri CentralWilliam Schelp-- 107 - 112113 - 117--
MOMONOMissouri NorthWilliam Schelp--107 - 112113 - 117--
IA/IL/WINCTS
North Central Iowa, Tri-State Illinois & Wisconsin
Matt Speers--101 - 107108 - 111--
NENENENebraska Northeast
Nick Hoffman
--105 - 110111 - 115--
NENESENebraska SoutheastAdam Stuteville--107 - 112113 - 117--
OHOHNWOhio NorthwestMatt Turner--103 - 108109 - 112--
NDRRCERed River CentralMark Querna82 - 92------
NDRRSORed River SouthMark Querna85 - 95------
SDSDNESouth Dakota NortheastMatt Eich--91 - 9596 - 100--
SDSDSESouth Dakota SoutheastPayden Peterson--98 - 102103 - 108--
WIWICEWisconsin CentralMatt Speers--93 - 9899 - 102--
WIWISOWisconsin SouthMatt Speers--99 - 104105 - 109--
Soybean Regions
See the ARCHIVE page for Locations and Products Tested in each region.
Maturity Range per Test
StateRegionManagerAll/Early (a)Full (b)
IAIANCIowa North Central
Ed Dahle
2.1 - 2.9--
IAIANOIowa North
Ed Dahle
1.6 - 2.5--
IAIANWIowa Northwest
Nick Hoffman
1.6 - 2.5--
IAIASCIowa South CentralRandy Meinsma2.3 - 2.72.8 - 3.2
IAIASOIowa SouthRandy Meinsma2.5 - 3.03.1 - 3.6
ILILNCIllinois North CentralNathan Roux2.8 - 3.8--
ILILNOIllinois NorthNathan Roux2.4 - 3.3--
ILILSCIllinois South CentralNathan Roux3.3 - 4.3--
ILILSOIllinois SouthKlint Tucker3.5 - 4.5--
ININCEIndiana CentralKlint Tucker2.8 - 3.8--
ININNOIndiana NorthMatt Turner2.4 - 3.4--
KSKSCEKansas CentralMelissa Nelson3.4 - 4.7--
KSKSECKansas East CentralAdam Stuteville3.4 - 4.7--
KSKSNEKansas NortheastAdam Stuteville3.4 - 4.4--
MNMNCEMinnesota CentralEd Dahle1.3 - 2.0--
MNMNNCMinnesota North CentralEd Dahle0.6 - 1.5--
MNMNSCMinnesota South CentralMark Querna1.5 - 2.2--
MNMNSOMinnesota SouthMark Querna1.6 - 2.3--
MNMNSOCVMinnesota South
Conventional Specialty
Mark Querna1.4 - 2.3--
MOMOCEMissouri CentralWilliam Schelp3.5 - 4.5--
MOMONOMissouri NorthWilliam Schelp3.2 - 4.3--
IA/ILNCSLNorth Central State LineMatt Speers2.1 - 2.9--
NENENENebraska Northeast
Nick Hoffman
2.4 - 3.3--
NENESENebraska SoutheastAdam Stuteville3.1 - 4.0--
OHOHNWOhio NorthwestMatt Turner2.4 - 3.4--
NDRRSORed River SouthMark Querna0.5 - 1.4--
SDSDNESouth Dakota NortheastMatt Eich1.0 - 1.7--
SDSDECSouth Dakota East CentralPayden Peterson1.6 - 2.3--
SDSDSESouth Dakota SoutheastPayden Peterson2.1 - 2.8--
WIWISOWisconsin SouthMatt Speers1.8 - 2.5--