EYES ON EARS APPROACH BUILDS CONFIDENCE IN NEW CORN HYBRIDS
Key points
- An eyes-on-ears approach gives AgriGold an advantage in launching new corn hybrids.
- Its research plots around the country are grounded in the realities of today’s farms.
- Experts gauge yield data and other agronomic factors, weighing how hybrids fit farmers’ needs.
Yield data is critical when testing new corn hybrids, but there’s only so much you can learn about a product from numbers in a spreadsheet. That’s why every new hybrid AgriGold launches has been ground-truthed by several teams of experts in research plots around the country.
“Getting eyes on ears is important,” says AgriGold Brand Product Manager Steve Schany. “The more people we have evaluating corn hybrids in farmers’ fields, the better our opportunity to gauge their capabilities and whether they are good enough to be added to our lineup.”
Research plots grounded in the realities of farming
The research plots AgriGold uses as testing grounds for its hybrids are located across North America in areas the brand sells corn seed. The pre-commercial research (PCR) system covers most yield environments and farmer practices.
AgReliant Genetics contracts with farmers to establish these plots. “We adopt the farmers’ practices — planting rates, fertility programs, fungicide applications — to keep our plots aligned with the realities of farming,” Schany details. “There are some thresholds on critical nutrients like nitrogen. But generally, we go with what the farmer does in that field.”
Many eyes on ears
“After planting comes evaluation mode,” Schany says. There’s a group of product experts called technical product specialists (TPSs) who look at products every day throughout the growing season. Their notes help the brand determine what hybrids bring to the table, as well as any limitations to be managed around.
AgriGold’s product management team also spends time in these research plots and provides additional feedback to the TPS team. Brand agronomists are also given a sneak peek into a limited number of research plots just before they are harvested.
This helps agronomists better understand the strengths of new hybrids entering the market and assess how they align with customer needs. It equips them to make better placement and management recommendations. “When we launch a new corn seed product, our goal is to know that new hybrid as well as one that’s been in our lineup for five years,” Schany says.
Metrics beyond yield
In the business of seed, yield is king. “With any new corn hybrid, our goal is for it to outyield the product it’s going to replace or fill a specific market need,” Schany says. Not only that, but it also needs to be a consistent performer.
Beyond high yields, other important metrics AgriGold evaluates in field corn seed trials include:
- Emergence
- Early season vigor
- Stalk strength
- Root structure
- Ability to withstand disease pressure
- Standability
Agronomist feedback key to products success
When a farmer incorporates a new hybrid, Schany says there are several reasons to be confident in that decision. The PCR process has a lot of new hybrids, but also a lot of internal commercial checks. Those checks might be existing leaders within the AgriGold portfolio or corn hybrids that serve regional niche needs.
Those hybrid checks act as benchmarks. “If we’re going to replace a hybrid in our lineup,” Schany says, “we want to be confident in its ability to outperform its predecessor in agronomics and/or yield.”
To learn more about AgriGold’s exciting new offerings and where they might fit on your farm, reach out to your local AgriGold agronomist.
