The calendar is turning away from another year of immense variability in corn and soybean crops across the Corn Belt. Weather and planting conditions and timing were all variable, and yields ranged from disappointing to very good. But one thing is clear, and that is “the improvement over time of genetics,” says Bob Purlee is a Dairyland Seeds district sales manager.
“Dairyland, a part of Corteva, is a regional brand here in northeastern Indiana and across Michigan and in Wisconsin and northern Illinois and to the west,” he explained. “As a regional brand we deliver the strength of Corteva genetics and traits to our area, and it’s a really powerful combination. When I think about the kind of year we had and the performance we still delivered with these products, I think back 15-20 years, and in a year like this weather-wise, I don’t think we see the yields that we actually saw this year. It has been amazing.”
Planning has been underway for the 2025 season and Purlee says it makes sense to not only stick with tried-and-true hybrids in your corn fields but to possibly add some new technologies to the seed going in the ground.
“I work directly with growers and that’s a conversation we have often, so we certainly want to keep using things that have worked in the past. One of the most important things farmers I think look for is consistency and predictability. You want to avoid as much risk as possible, so yes, certainly guys want to hang on to things that have worked in the past, and on the corn side we do a lot of that. But we introduce new products and we do that a lot of ways within Dairyland. Working with Mark Gibson, our technical agronomist for this area, we have a program called PXP, and that allows Farmers to get a heads up look at brand new products that will be available a year down the road.”
He says since there is enough field-size data available on the new hybrids, growers can plant those with confidence.
Purlee adds soybean growers are quicker to jump on adding new varieties because of their proven yield and agronomic advantages. Hear more in his full comments here:
Purlee is based in Ft. Wayne in northeast Indiana.
