Genetics and Traits Performed Well in 2012

During this week’s farm equipment show in Indianapolis there is plenty of talk about the weather challenges crops faced this year, and now it is on to the plans for the next crop year. But considering the toll taken by heat and drought Ryan Parkin at Beck’s Hybrids has heard a surprising number of good reports about the year just ended.

“I have been very surprised and amazed by how there have been some really great success stories out there and products really held up a lot better than I ever thought they would. I tell people I’ve been in the seed business for 16 years and at that time if we would have had this year it would have been a complete crop disaster. The genetics and traits have made so much more of an advancement today than they were even a few years ago and I think they were able to hold their own. Certainly people want to see the yields bigger and larger but they were pretty good considering the conditions that we had.”

One of Beck’s bright spots was their 75th anniversary 6175 that was 15 bushels better than competitors this year.

Parkin says farmers always have the previous year’s experience at the top of their mind, so they’re taking a long look at what seeds did well in the drought, “but I still always want to caution people to look forward and still pick the right products for the right field and not get too caught up in what happened last year because we can all be certain next year will be different.”

But Beck’s does have two new drought tolerant products available on a limited basis this year, “AquaMax and Artesian products,” he told HAT. “Those are both drought tolerant traits and products so it’s going to be really exciting to have that as an option for farmers as we go on into the future.”

Beck’s offers just one line of those products, but Parkin says over time many more options are expected. Escalate was a soybean bright spot for Beck’s this summer. That seed treatment resulted in 7 bushel per acre yield bumps vs. untreated seed at their Atlanta Practical Farm Research plot. Beck’s includes it in every bag of soybean seed free of charge.[audio:https://www.hoosieragtoday.com//wp-content/uploads//2012/12/Becks-products-performed-well.mp3|titles=Becks products performed well]

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