SPIN TO WIN

Pick the right seed to solve agronomic challenges and maximize yield.

- By Adrienne Held & Chelsea Dinterman

Seed selection can effectively solve a wide range of agronomic issues. Whether you're dealing with disease, pests, drought, or even harvest efficiency, selecting the right corn and soybean products can improve crop performance and resilience, and reduce input costs.

"Seed selection is very important," said Ryan Dunsbergen, Golden Harvest soybean product manager, stressing the need to match maturities and traits with local field conditions. Farmers must balance “offense and defense,” choosing high-yielding varieties while also ensuring strong resistance to diseases, pests, and soil variability, he said.

Choosing the right seed is about more than just picking a high-yielding variety, said Craig Hurley, Beck's soybean lead. It requires careful attention to field history, recognizing past disease pressures, considering rotation patterns, evaluating soil types, and selecting genetics tailored to those conditions. “Field history is critical to make the right seed recommendation,” he said.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY IS A NICE SAYING AND EVERYTHING...

BUT OUR LOCAL RETAIL SEED EXPERTS REFUSE TO GIVE UP ONE FOR THE OTHER.

WEED MANAGEMENT

Grass and broadleaf weeds pose a challenge, requiring a delicate balance of active ingredients. When choosing a seed with weed management in mind, it’s important to think beyond herbicide tolerance. Be sure to also consider field history and weed tolerance.

“Think about what weeds are in the field that might be resistant to herbicide tolerance and how to manage or layer different herbicides over the course of the season,” said Dave Hoy, agronomy division manager with LG Seeds.

Certain corn hybrids may be sensitive to certain herbicides, so Hoy recommended double-checking that chosen hybrids work with your entire weed management plan.