NEWS DTN
Read more about the FIRST program in these stories. There are 12 articles for DTN.
DTN/Progressive Farmer | Trials Offer Unbiased Comparisons of Seed
While many entities perform yield trials every year -- from governments and universities to seed companies and individual farmers -- FIRST has a unique ability to evaluate the performance of numerous seed products in an apples-to-apples comparison.
August 31T06:00:00, 2025
2025 Digital Yield Tour - Kansas Corn Yields to Best Averages in 2025 as Drought Subsides
Rain has been hard to come by in recent years in Kansas, but in 2025, drought conditions finally subsided. The result is that average corn yields are likely to outpace the five-year USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) average by more than 25 bushels per acre (bpa), according to 2025 DTN Digital Yield Tour estimates as of Aug. 1.
August 15T06:00:00, 2025
2025 Digital Yield Tour - Minnesota Corn Yields Could Average 199.1 BPA in 2025, Challenging Records
Despite a year when localized heavy rains again left many fields with drowned-out spots, Minnesota is positioned to challenge the statewide average corn yield record, according to 2025 DTN Digital Yield Tour estimates from Aug. 1.
August 12T06:00:00, 2025
2024 Digital Yield Tour - Missouri Missouri Overcomes Drought Conditions to Raise Big Corn, Soybean Crops
Springtime moisture pulled Missouri out of some long-term deficits and, while conditions have been widely beneficial, the state has dealt with the most severe weather of any in the DTN Digital Yield Tour. Unlike other areas, Missouri growers report a crop that's more advanced and closer to harvest. But after a "Goldilocks" summer, did it grow too fast to max out?
August 16T18:00:00, 2024
2024 Digital Yield Tour - Iowa Could Set Statewide Corn Yield Record of 205 BPA in 2024
Iowa pulled itself out of drought and into a record corn crop, if the DTN Digital Yield Tour estimates hold true. An active rainy pattern settled over the state this spring, and while it slowed planting season down, most areas benefitted from the replenishing rainfall. Parts of the state's northwest received too much rain and suffered from flooding and ponding issues.
August 14T18:00:00, 2024
2024 Digital Yield Tour - Illinois Favorable Rains Feed Record Yield Expectations in Illinois Despite Derecho
Illinois' growing season got off to a wet start. Planting got done in windows here and there, sometimes late or in less-than-ideal conditions. June turned hot and dry, raising alarms of a 2023 repeat, only to be assuaged by generous rainfall from several strong weather events that came with a side of hail and a blast of wind. Supportive August weather could give soybeans the boost they need to set new records.
August 13T18:00:00, 2024
DTNPF | FIRST Corn Trials Surprise in Missouri
Despite enduring drought conditions for much of the growing season in Missouri, today's corn hybrids proved to be surprisingly resilient, according to the results of yield trials conducted by Farmers Independent Research of Seed Technologies (FIRST).
October 13T18:00:00, 2023
DTNPF | DTN, FIRST Partner in Field Data
DTN/Progressive Farmer and Farmers' Independent Research of Seed Technologies (FIRST) have teamed up to offer an in-field view of crop development around the Corn Belt. This project aims to produce time-lapse video of corn growth progress in FIRST plots in eight locations within five states.
July 7T06:00:00, 2023
FIRST Newsletter | June 2023
Plot Reports, Interview with FIRST member Brian Herbst, and new DTN collaboration
June 30T18:00:00, 2023
DTN Progressive Farmer | FIRST Test Plot Hosts Sought for 2023
FIRST Test Plots Give Up-Close Look at How Latest Seed Offerings Perform on Your Farm
November 4T18:00:00, 2022