2021 was an interesting year for farmers. It started off cold and wet causing some planting delays. Snow then fell on some emerged beans that got in early requiring some to replant. Farmers and agronomists alike were concerned in May because many soybeans were a highlighter green color. Corn withstood some of those early issues but then came tar spot. Despite all that, Indiana corn and soybeans still managed statewide record yields.
The big question is, how? Is it genetics? Is it farmer management? LG Seeds Indiana agronomist Phil Brunner says it’s both.
“Genetics are incredible. Soybeans, everybody planting early, we couldn’t do that years ago. You were just going to replant them all. I think the treatments have come a long way in being able to withstand those tough early environments and still maintain their population, so that helped a lot. And just the genetics are able to overcome more now, I believe.”
As for management, Brunner says, “Back in my dad’s day or my grandfather’s day, it was plant it and forget it. You didn’t really do much. You waited until it was brown then you harvested it. Guys are now managing almost on the grids down to the square foot or 5 square feet, micromanaging. And there are new products too. A lot of the seed treatments, some biologicals that guys are using now, spoon feeding the crop. It used to be a lot of guys would put anhydrous in the front and then that was it for the nitrogen. Now, we’ve got guys putting on nitrogen two or three different times a year. A lot of our genetics respond really well to that.”
Tar spot is a major concern for farmers moving forward. Brunner says they had one hybrid in particular that really stood up to tar spot.
“LG59C72, it’s a unique hybrid to AgReliant and LG seeds, and with health, it shines. Our breeders hit it out the park with this one. Tar spot, I mean it laughs at tar spot. It might get a few speckles on it within the plots, but it really shined. We had some of the satellite imagery of field health with multiple hybrids planted in the field and you could pick that out every time. So, we’re really excited about that.”
As for soybeans, Brunner says they’re excited at LG Seeds to be able to offer any trait platform you want for ’22. They offer conventional, Xtend, XtendFlex, and Enlist E3.
“There are not a lot of companies out there that can bring the full portfolio of what is going to work for you on your farm. We’ve got it.”
Learn more at lgseeds.com.
