As combines are put to rest for 2007, growers focus their attention on seed selection for next season. The vast assortment of high-performing genetics and the growing number of biotech traits raises questions on how each of these factors impact yield and bottom-line profits.

As one seed industry expert notes, the answers depend on a few important production decisions growers must make. “As a result of accelerated plant breeding methods initiated during recent years, the genetic performance of hybrids has grown stronger and stronger,” says Mike Vande Logt, vice president of marketing and product development for Winfield Solutions, LLC, a Land O'Lakes company, which markets CROPLAN GENETICS® seed. “The biotech traits now available help protect the high-yield potential of these genetics. But to achieve maximum return from their investment in genetics and traits, growers must match seed selections with the right growing environment.”  

Vande Logt, a 26-year seed industry veteran with a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and a master’s degree in plant breeding, likens the importance of matching the right seed to the right field with positioning people to succeed in careers. “You won’t be successful having a space scientist trying to catch a football pass or having a football receiver attempting to launch a rocket into space,” he explains. “Just as you need to place the right person in each job, you need to place genetics and traits on the right soils and at the right populations to capture their full value.”

Traits Mitigate Risk

When it comes to investing in traits that add insect and herbicide protection to your crop, the decision is easy, Vande Logt says. “With the high cost of producing a corn crop today, growers can no longer afford not to use seed with biotech traits that help mitigate their risk,” he notes. “At worst, it’s like buying car insurance but never having an accident. At best, choosing the right traits can mean the difference of 100 or more bushels per acre.”
The heavy insect pressure and drought that hit northwest Iowa last season are good examples of how traits protect growers when they need it most. As corn rootworm moved in and attacked root systems, drought aggravated the problem. Yield differences for the same genetics planted with and without the corn rootworm trait were 140 bushels per acre for crops with the added trait versus 40 bushels per acre in crops without the trait.
“Planting seed with traits is all about risk mitigation. If you buy the traits and don’t get any damage, you still get high yield. If you do have damage, you gain 100 bushels per acre,” Vande Logt says. “Not planting seed with these protective traits is just not worth the risk.”

Expertise Helps Yield Success

The next piece of the seed performance puzzle is placing the right seed genetics with the right traits in a location where they can reach their yield potential, notes Vande Logt. “There are so many factors to consider to achieve maximum seed performance, including soil type, plant population, fertility and more,” he explains. “That’s where your local seed agronomist can provide invaluable help. For example, CROPLAN GENETICS® seed agronomists use their expertise to help growers achieve the highest performance possible from each field by matching genetics to the conditions. Taking advantage of this expertise is another way growers can protect their seed investment.”

Four Ways To Maximize Seed Performance

As growers ponder their seed and production program decisions for the 2008 season, Vande Logt offers the following strategy for achieving top performance on each field:

1. Analyze soil type.  Certain genetic types perform better with certain soils. For example, some hybrids with fibrous roots excel on lighter soils, while other hybrids feature penetration root systems better able to handle heavier soils.
2. Plant the right population.  If the hybrid you are considering produces big flex ears, it will excel at lower seed populations. If you have a fixed-ear hybrid that produces smaller, consistent-sized ears, it needs higher populations to produce maximum yield.
3. Match genetics to the rotation. With corn-on-corn rotations becoming more prevalent, it’s vital to plant hybrids with high-health genetics that can tolerate the increased disease pressure that can carry over on the previous year’s corn residue.
4. Maintain adequate fertility. High-yielding genetics need adequate nitrogen to fulfill their yield potential. In the hot, dry western Corn Belt, some genetic families need the right levels of potassium for peak performance. Soil testing will help determine if your field has the right levels of key crop nutrients to match your hybrids’ potential.

The highest return from genetics and traits comes when both are given every opportunity to perform at peak levels, Vande Logt adds. By following the steps above and selecting complementary genetics and traits, growers will capitalize on yield in each field and reduce risk exposure for their operation.

For a more in-depth discussion of factors to consider when selecting seed genetics and traits, contact your local CROPLAN GENETICS® seed agronomist, visit your local Answer Plot® program location during the growing season or go to www.answerplot.com.