Bayer - The future of corn is here

Farmers need new ways of producing more food to face the challenges of climate change and to meet regulatory and consumer requirements. To help with these challenges, Bayer is deploying the Preceon Smart Corn System in Spain through its Groundbreakers program.

Partnering with farmers to help them understand the benefits of this comprehensive production system is critical, and to that end Bayer organized a field visit for a number of farmers participating in Groundbreakers trialing Preceon.

During the field visit, this new cultivation system was explained through three stations: genetics, agricultural science, and digital.

At the first station, the genetics of this new generation of corn hybrids was explained: it is 30% shorter than conventional corn, better withstanding adverse weather conditions (such as strong winds), decreasing the risk of lodging, and facilitating field activities such as irrigation, fertilization, and pesticide treatments. Another advantage of a short corn hybrid is that developing a deeper root system provides more efficient access to water resources and better absorption of nutrients, and contributes to decreasing the carbon footprint by 5-10%, according to preliminary studies.

In terms of agricultural science, thanks to the higher planting density, the system is designed to increase yield potential by up to 1 ton/hectare in grain and 2 tons/hectare in silage compared to conventional corn, also improving aspects of quality such as digestibility and starch content. The use of precision planters is essential to ensure appropriate planting density based on each plot’s potential. 

During the last part of the visit, the full digital experience with this system was demonstrated. When Preceon is combined with the FieldView tool, farmers receive customized prescriptions about planting and managing their crops and detailed follow-up on the crop’s development, providing real-time information on each plot’s water and fertilization needs.

Currently, the Ground Breakers Program, consisting of a group of farmers from Spain, Italy, and the United States, is testing the Preceon system in the field. In Spain, 40 farmers have taken part in the program, mainly in the region of Valle del Ebro, and have grown more than 260 hectares with Preceon.

Luis Casasnovas, one of the farmers that participated in the program, commented on the results of the Preceon based on his experience, highlighting that in addition to achieving:

″better production of around 500 Kg per hectare; we have also seen better irrigation coverage, which saves us water. Plant growth has been optimal, with no lodging, great color, and perfect cobs, translating to a better crop.″

The experiences and comments from this group of farmers will be used to perfect the system before it is launched on the market, which is anticipated to take place in Spain in 2025.