By Joe Slosarczyk, Key Account Sales Manager
There are some key factors in proper hybrid/variety selection to successfully prepare for the 2022 planting season, as well as some new technological advancements that will be available to us for this next season and beyond. In this second part of our 2-part series, we would like to discuss some of the key factors in proper hybrid/variety selection to successfully prepare for our 2022 planting season.
Tools for Success
Proper seed selection takes careful consideration around the details to set us up for success for the following year. We will try to dive into a few of the important selection attributes and how to utilize different tools to achieve success.
There are many basic but important factors that go into seed selection. A few would be crop rotation, desired relative maturity, tillage system, nutrient management system, disease spectrum and fertility levels. First, we need to determine the maturity window for the particular crop you are intending to grow as it pertains to your specific environment. This will also help us better dial in hybrid maturity characteristics and harvest management considerations. We then need to consider if the hybrid/variety will be following a rotated or host crop. This will help us determine the right genetics for the rotation, the correct disease characteristics needed, and select the proper traits to protect our crop. Next, we need to take into consideration your specific tillage system. By knowing the tillage program, we can then properly place the hybrid/varieties based on emergence scores, fertility characteristics of the tillage system and aid in proper residue management. Following that, we need to discuss past and present disease spectrum factors for your area. This will help us not only pick the correct genetic characteristics for your particular farms, but also discuss potential seed treatment options and in-season management decisions to optimize your chosen genetics. The last basic factor will be to determine your fertility levels and your overall management system as to how we will deliver specific nutrients like nitrogen, sulfur, potassium, phosphorous and various micronutrients for the chosen genetics/system. All these basic factors make up the pillars and foundation to sound seed selection.
Once we have started our building blocks for success, we can then further dive into the finer details to hone in on the right seed choices. Some of the finer details could include your hybrid’s response to additional/late season nitrogen, response to increased population, response in fungicide and ultimately the yield goals for your farm. Fortunately, we have a great tool at our disposal to evaluate all those factors. This tool is Winfield United’s R7 Tool and Answer Plot system. This system that spans across the United States and encompasses high quality local data gives us sound data to provide all those characteristics including yield performance by environment. By choosing the right population, the correct nitrogen management, and potential fungicide management decisions, we can then start to get laser-focused on placing and managing the best choices for your particular system.
Variety Selection
Now, let’s dive into the proper variety on selection on soybeans. There are a few key elements to consider when choosing the best soybean portfolio for your farm. These would include maturity, tillage system, herbicide system, row width and disease environment.
Maturity depends on a few factors. These would include your geographic location, intended planting date, desired harvest date and if we are going to seed any crops after soybean harvest. Your particular tillage system has an impact on how we choose varieties. Depending on your tillage system, we can then make decisions on variety characteristics such as plant architecture, disease resistance, and herbicide options, along with other agronomic characteristics. Once we have determined our tillage system, we can then move onto the best options for your herbicide management program. This will affect the recommendation on the type of traits that would be most desired to ensure success in controlling your particular weed environment. ALCIVIA has great options for both the E3 Enlist System and the Xtend Flex System. Lastly, we can discuss your particular row width and disease spectrum. They both have an interaction together, and deciding which diseases are a potential detriment on your farm will help us choose the best variety to defend against those diseases. Putting all these factors together will give us the best opportunity to achieve the goals you have put in place for your farm.
At ALCIVIA, we realize how important it is that we are choosing the correct hybrid and management style that best fits your particular farm. We work hard to understand each of our hybrid’s unique characteristics and then truth those characteristics in the field throughout our territory. We have a great relationship with our vendor partners to keep our skills sharp and make sure you have the best support staff available. We take your seed selection very serious and look forward to the opportunity to help you reach success in 2022.