With crops in the ground for this season, it’s time to walk your local outdoor classroom to see what’s new about seed selection and learn the latest in crop production for next year. Test plots can be a great educational tool for growers to assess crop production results this season and start planning for next year. The key to reaping the most benefit from time spent at these events is twofold: know what to look for and ask the right questions.

Gary Nowaczyk, regional product manager for CROPLAN GENETICS® seed, oversees 18 Answer Plot® program locations for the Land O’Lakes Seed Division in eastern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and central and northern Illinois. The Answer Plot program, with more than 100 locations across the country, goes beyond a typical test plot, encompassing every aspect of the latest crop protection technologies and how to apply them to individual situations. CROPLAN GENETICS® seed expert agronomists are available at each station throughout Answer Plot® locations to answer questions and help growers sort out the answers.

Learning Opportunity

Nowaczyk views test plots as a tremendous opportunity for growers to learn more about the latest technologies and, more important, how to position these products to achieve the maximum potential of every field.

“Some test plot programs have turned into much more than just a showcase for new hybrids and varieties,” explains Nowaczyk. “For example, Answer Plot sessions offer growers a wide variety of information on the genetic background of hybrids and how that affects crop development – all designed to help growers learn how to properly position hybrids and varieties in their own fields. It’s important to look for learning opportunities like these to maximize time spent at field days.”

Nowaczyk cautions growers to look beyond test plot yield data. “Test plot yield data can create a lot of emotion, but all that plot really shows is how a hybrid performed on that piece of ground for that year,” he explains. “There’s so much more to be considered when positioning the right hybrids for your fields. And that’s where visiting the right test plots provides a valuable service.”

Finding Answers for Your Field

Gary Bell, a corn and soybean grower from Virginia, Ill., found answers for many of his crop positioning questions during visits to his local Answer Plot® location.

“I’ve been farming for 16 years, but I learned more from my visits to an Answer Plot® location than any other plot I attended before,” he notes. “The way CROPLAN GENETICS® agronomists demonstrate the genetic story is amazing and seeing how varieties respond to planting at different populations side by side was very helpful.”

“About half of our acres are in the river bottoms with really wet soil. That’s where knowing the genetic story behind hybrids helps us understand which kind of root systems to use with that type of ground. We’re really impressed with the amount of information we receive each time we tour the Answer Plot site,” Bell adds.

Five Tips for Test Plot Visits

To help growers maximize the time spent at test plots visits, Nowaczyk offers five tips:

1. Visit locally. Look for a plot in your area with soil and growing conditions similar to those in your own fields. Find plots that showcase how various genetics perform under your local conditions. Look for sites staffed with agronomists who can help you sort through genetics, new seed technologies, environmental challenges and production practices to help you position the right hybrids and varieties on your fields.
2. Watch the genetic story unfold. If possible, make several visits to the test plot throughout the growing season to gain a true understanding of how hybrids and varieties with varied genetic backgrounds perform from planting to harvest. By observing crops at emergence, pollination and maturity, you will see how different genetics respond to various soil types, plant populations, health and disease packages, and in corn-on-corn and corn-soybean rotations. This knowledge will help you select a package of hybrids to handle variable weather, pest and other challenges to better manage your risk next season.
3. Ask the right questions. Be an active participant at test plot visits by asking questions that will help you understand what you’re viewing.  Some questions that might help are: What type of soil does the plot have and is it the same throughout the plot? What production techniques have been used? Which crop nutrients have been applied and at what rates? What seed populations were used? Which crop protection products have been applied?
4. Learn what information applies to your fields. It’s also very important to ask questions that relate to your own operation, such as: What are three reasons I should plant these hybrids or varieties in my fields (beyond yield)? Can this soybean variety handle the stress load (soil types, diseases, fertility challenges, etc.) on my fields? Do the corn hybrids carry the disease packages needed in my rotations and fields?
5. Get your hands dirty. A good test plot program will allow you to actively participate by digging up corn roots to learn more about the different types, husking corn to check for flex or fixed ears, checking out corn stalks for healthy rinds and staygreen conditions, or digging up soybean roots to learn how to identify cyst nematode. While identifying in-field crop problems, be sure to ask how to handle these situations in your own fields.

By following these tips, Nowaczyk says growers will bring home new ideas and tools from each test plot visit to help increase production results.  For more information about the Answer Plot® program or to find an Answer Plot® location near you, visit www.answerplot.com