As partner of the Soybean Innovation Community, Donau Soja visited the soybean field trials at the BOKU University in Tulln, Austria, on 28 September 2026. The visit included discussions about upcoming activities from the Soybean Innovation Community and the visit of the soybean field trials that were close to harvest.
The field experiments were designed to assess yield and adaptation to changing climate at different partner locations such as Austria, France, Germany, but this year was exceptionally hot and dry, with record-breaking temperatures at several locations – conditions that also affected soybean production and the field trials.
The harvesting of the soybean microplots of the Legume Generation project in Tulln/Austria took place at the end of September. After a severe drought and high temperatures during the summer 2026, genotypes were differently affected by stress: Early maturity genotypes were 2-3 weeks earlier in development than in an average season, whereas late maturity genotypes were delayed after receiving rain in early September which made them growing again thereafter. Estimates of yield losses due to drought stress are between 20 and 50% depending on cultivar and maturity group.
Pictures © BOKU University
