Syngenta Harvest Chasers report yields

Syngenta Harvest Chasers are traveling around the Midwest to report harvest results as the combines roll through the fields.

 

“This is a way we can get stories out so other seed advisers can share stories with customers, versus here’s the seed guide and plot data,” explained Mike Shane, sales representative for Syngenta. “This is real-world information from the cab of the combine.”

 

Customers can learn about yield results for Golden Harvest corn and NK corn and soybeans through the Know More, Grow More Syngenta blog, as well as with posts on Facebook and Twitter by using harvestchasers.

 

One of the highest-yielding Golden Harvest hybrids this year is G12J11-3011A, reported Shane, who manages a territory that includes Lee, DeKalb, Kane, Kendall and Will counties.

 

“This corn is built for drought, but it did exactly what it is touted to do. It yields just as good as any other hybrid in regular years, actually better — it is one of my top hybrids,” he said. “But in drought years like 2012, it did fantastic. It averaged 15 percent better than anything else.”

 

This is an Agrisure Artesian hybrid.

 

“To be an artesian hybrid it has to meet certain standards for drought tolerance,” Shane explained. “At Matt Kellogg’s field in Kendall County, G12J11 was topping out at 343 bushels and the field average was 284 bushels per acre.”

 

Kellogg also planted a test plot that included 24 hybrids.

 

“The hybrid that won his plot was G14R38-3000GT,” he said. “I just got off the phone with a seed adviser that wants to place a bigger order for this hybrid because his customer said it was his best corn again this year.”

 

Last year, G12J11 was the top hybrid in Kellogg’s test plot.

 

“Next year about one-third of his order is for this number because every year this hybrid has done well. It has a good disease package, and you can put it anywhere,” Shane said.

 

“Those are the two hybrids that really stood out this year,” he reported. “And there are new traits always coming like Agrisure Duracade, which was new on the market for 2014.”

 

 

Agrisure Duracade features a trait for corn rootworm control.

 

“We didn’t have much of a rootworm issue this year,” Shane said.

 

“In a drought year when roots really matter, you’re going to wish you had better protection,” he added.

 

Shane stressed that the level of rootworm pressure can vary from year to year.

 

“Because there was low pressure this year does not mean next year it will be low,” he said. “It could be worse than in 2013. You never know because every year is different when it comes to rootworm.”

 

The NK soybean varieties, Shane said, produced great yields this year.

 

“Every plot I harvested I was pleased,” he said. “In DeKalb, the S28-A2, S20-T6 and S26-P3 varieties were the tops, but the rest were also good. They might be a bushel or two under. We had seven new soybean varieties this year, and they all did well.”

 

 

Along with hybrids, Shane said, it also is important to talk about crop protection products such as Force insecticide to help protect the roots, Quilt Xcel fungicide and Acuron herbicide.

 

“We talk about these products together because in the end we are trying to get the crop to grow the best,” he stressed.

 

“This year we introduced Clariva Complete Beans, which is a new soybean seed treatment that protects against soybean cyst nematode,” he said. “We put a spore into the seed treatment, and it infects the soybean cyst nematode.”

 

Syngenta completed two trials at Joliet Junior College that compared Clariva to CruiserMaxx.

 

“The Clariva was 10 bushels better at both trials,” Shane reported. “That was a huge response.”

 

It can be difficult to determine if soybean cyst nematodes are in a field.

 

“It’s very spotty in a field,” Shane said. “Using a seed treatment will pay for itself. This is a bright spot in our seed treatment world.”

 

Although Shane said there is a good supply of NK soybean varieties, he added that the varieties are going fast.

 

“Place your orders now to get exactly what you want,” he advised. “The best deals are now because we have early cash discounts until January and excellent financing available.”