NEWS FIRST IN THE NEWS
Read more about the FIRST program in these stories. There are 83 articles for FIRST IN THE NEWS.
DTN/Progressive Farmer | Trial Data Points to Lower Corn Yields
The difference could be enough to push the U.S. average corn yield below the record set in 2024, though perhaps not enough to stymie record production. According to Matt Dahle, FIRST business manager, corn yields in their trials this year are trending lower than last season, while soybean yields are exceeding their 2024 results.
October 21T18:00:00, 2025
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
AgUpdate | Soybean results show bounce back from wet start
For top soybean honors in the three-state area, a Winterset, Iowa, plot hit 85.6 bu./acre, FIRST reports showed.
November 30T06:00:00, 2024
AgUpdate | Corn yields consistent despite precip roller coaster
Overall, corn results were quite comparable to 2023 numbers and impressed FIRST field managers. In its 28th year, FIRST provides objective comparisons of seed genetics for U.S. corn and soybean farmers.
November 23T12:00:00, 2024
Best of the Farm Progress Show 2024 | FIRST Seed Tests
FIRST Seed Tests provides farmers with unbiased corn and soybean seed performance data to boost yield and profitability. Discover trusted results from extensive field trials across 15 states. Check FIRST for next season's corn and soybean seed.
October 15T06:00:00, 2024
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