A new early maturing variety with high yield potential was released from the University of Arkansas (UA). The new soybean, called UA 4805, is a Group IV conventional variety that averaged more than 55 bu./acre over two years in the Arkansas soybean performance test.
“The yield potential for UA 4805 is close to that of Ozark, a Group V conventional cultivar,” says Pengyin Chen, soybean breeder for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.
Ozark ranks at the top of all irrigated varieties in the verification program, says Dwayne Beatty, coordinator of the UA Crop Verification Program. It averaged 64 bu./acre in trials in 2004.
“In addition to high yields, it's a good, clean bean,” Beatty says. “We saw no signs of foliar diseases and stem canker was low.”
The new soybean also has resistance to several major diseases common in Arkansas and neighboring states.
“UA 4805 is particularly resistant to frogeye leaf spot, sudden death syndrome and stem canker,” Chen says. “It is moderately resistant to root knot nematode and phomopsis seed decay.”
UA 4805 foundation seed will be available to seed growers in 2005. Certified “blue tag” seed will be available to producers in 2006.