Mycogen Seeds: How to use on-farm data for seed selection

By Melissa Bell, Mycogen Seeds Agronomists

It’s the question we all ask — how do I effectively use all the data, particularly yield information, to formulate decisions for the next growing season and beyond?

Precision ag companies are abundant, and it’s easy to be overwhelmed with the various offerings and breadth of data collected on farm.

Although there is not necessarily one right way to use on farm data, there are a few good things to keep in mind when sorting through performance information.

First and foremost, yield is a function of a genetic by environment by management interaction. For example, you plant a hybrid that is susceptible to gray leaf spot. Warm, humid conditions, combined with a field with a long history of heavy disease pressure, results in a GLS outbreak.

You make a management decision to apply fungicide and leave untreated check strips. In such a scenario, it will probably be evident how the fungicide application, given the hybrid and local environment, affected yield.

Understanding this, management and the environment through the entire growing season are parts of the equation for understanding product performance and selecting the correct genetics for your farm for the next year. And while yield is the most important factor, things such as late-season standability may be important to your operation, as well.


It goes without saying, but collecting accurate information is a critical precursor to using data. This means properly recording product names, applications made and so on.

During the harvest season, this means calibrating your yield monitor regularly and keeping an eye on scale tickets to ensure it remains in check. Post calibration at the end of the season is a great idea, as well.

In addition to operational data, note taking in the field throughout the season in combination with recording weather data is useful. For example, if conditions turned very hot and dry while a particular hybrid was pollinating, or if a large wind event moved through the area prior to brace root establishment, product performance may be compromised. It is very challenging to try to remember in October what happened in June without good notes.


Look for consistency and keep the big picture in mind. Don’t assume because one hybrid didn’t yield well in one field that it should not be planted again.

Or, that fungicide didn’t pay in one location and should be skipped in future years. Often, it is a combination of seemingly subtle factors that cause big differences in yield.

Each year, it amazes me how things like a 24-hour difference in planting, a difference in tillage or even a change in fertilizer nitrogen management can cause dramatic yield differences. And the list goes on.


Matching the right seed to the right acre is a major decision affecting your 2019 crop. Because of the array of genetics available, it’s important to work with a person who has a deep understanding of your fields and management practices.

Your trusted adviser should be connected to product performance both inside and outside of your local geography. Inevitably, there are areas in everyone’s local region that are experiencing heavy disease, drought, excessive water and so forth.

A knowledgeable seed provider can communicate how current products are performing in these environments and help you reduce risk on your farm with the right mix of these products.