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News Release
TEST PLOTS CONDUCTED BY THIRD PARTIES ARE HELPFUL IN SELECTING NEW HYBRIDS, VARIETIES
11/24/1999
Eagan
Eagan, Minn., Nov. 24, 1999 – Farmers looking for unbiased information on the
newest hybrids and varieties may want to check with their local bank.
Ag businesses, farm managers, independent researchers and
even banks will often set up local test plots to appraise the newest hybrids and varieties
available. These "third-party" plots serve as a valuable tool to growers who are
looking for unbiased and accurate information says Mike Mueller, agronomist for Mycogen
Seeds.
Seed companies and dealerships sponsor their own plots each
year to demonstrate and test their newest hybrids and varieties. However, Mueller says
farmers tend not to give as much credibility to these results as they would a non-biased
third-party plot. Although, the company cooperator plots do play a key role in determining
product performance and product placement for the companies they represent.
Independent researchers and agribusinesses, on the other
hand, plant test plots as a service to their customers and have no bias to a particular
company or product. To put it simply, all products are on an "equal playing
field."
"It’s important for farmers to collect all of the
third-party plot data they can get their hands on," says Mueller. "They not only
should note the performance of the new hybrids and varieties, but the soil conditions,
time of planting, and any inputs used on the plot, as well. If they truly want to know how
a hybrid or variety will perform in their field, they’ll need to see it in similar
conditions."
Mueller says it’s imperative growers update their
arsenal faster than ever to remain competitive.
"Growers need to look at the new hybrids and varieties
available every year in their area," he explains. "Where companies once replaced
their corn hybrids every five to seven years, they now update them as often as every two
or three. And where soybean varieties weren’t replaced until they had been on the
market for five years, now they are replaced after just one or two years of
availability."
Mueller offers these points to farmers who are shopping
around for next year’s hybrids and varieties:
• Take soil type into account. Look for hybrids
and varieties that do well in soils similar to their own.
• Consider drydown time. Some growers may need
grains that dry faster for quicker harvest.
• Look at late-season plant health and intactness.
A hardy hybrid may be important for farmers with larger acreage and longer harvest times.
• Compare your results with other plots. Some
third-party plots will include popular hybrids and varieties that have been on the market
for a year or so. If you planted one of these products last year, compare your results
with test plots in your area. If there is a difference, determine why. Don’t forget
to compare inputs, rotation and tillage.
• Don’t disregard company-sponsored plots.
When comparing hybrids and varieties, more data is always better. Most seed companies know
it is bad business practice to alter plot results, so most results are reliable. Data from
company-sponsored plots paired with third-party results can help provide an accurate
picture of seed performance.
A local business unit of Dow AgroSciences, Mycogen Seeds
markets grain corn, silage corn and nutritionally enhanced corn seed, as well as
sunflower, canola, soybean, alfalfa and sorghum seed through the Corn Belt, the eastern
United States and in major dairy areas throughout the nation. For more information on
Mycogen Seeds, go to www.mycogen.com on the Internet.
Contacts:
Pat Arthur
Heidi Holte
Mycogen Seeds
Bader Rutter & Associates
(651) 405-5953
(262) 784-7200
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