The 2023 growing season is just around the corner.
As you determine which seed variety may be the best fit, take into consideration what kind of year we are expecting. This year’s growing season brought quite the list of challenges with the drought year we had, and that is projected to continue through 2023 as well. Keep your eye out as we face issues in the field like corn rootworm and weed pressure. Understanding your choices for seed hybrids and the needs of your soil are going to be imperative in producing a successful crop in the coming year. Flexible, resilient varieties will be the go-to for next season.
When selecting your corn variety, these anticipated environmental challenges of drought, pests and weeds are important to keep in mind. Seed production and cost of corn have gone up, so making the right selection is critical in ensuring you produce a successful crop.
Corn rootworm has been on the rise the past few years, with some of the pressure being caused by drought conditions, but lack of freezing temperatures early in the season also contributed to the widespread problem across the Corn Belt. An extremely large corn rootworm population hatched and survived this year, infesting fields. We can expect that there will be another population next year, although severity of impact is unknown, as we don’t know what temperatures will look like quite yet. We do know we are heading into another dry year. If you’re planning to plant corn-on-corn acres, your fields are at a higher risk for corn rootworm. There are some new trait technologies available for combatting corn rootworm to consider.
Along with preparing to fight corn rootworm, we need to understand the soil and ensure we select the right genetics, for the right acre. Some additional key considerations are population, plot data, management style, maturity ranges and root type. When you’re breaking down these considerations, always look at geography, and where you saw products performing well in your acres in the past, then talk with any of our qualified seed technicians to make selections for 2023.
When preparing for challenging seasons in the past, we’ve looked to Bayer’s VT Double PRO® due to the affordable price point. However, this year, we’re seeing a major price jump with that product and have found other options that provide more value for our area. VT Double PRO® primarily provides the Roundup® trait, while other options are more versatile at competitive price points. If you are only looking for a Roundup® trait, seeds like VT Double PRO® may save you money compared to more all-inclusive options. If you are wanting more from your seed selection, we recommend looking at SmartStax® PRO for more flexibility in the upcoming year. The main priorities are assessing your unique needs and goals and figuring out what trait platform fits your ground. We have many seed varieties available, including a full lineup of LG Seeds, Champion Seed and Midwest Seed Genetics corn and Xitavo™ soybeans.
For soybean seed selection, understanding the soil is going to be more and more critical. We’ve found that with our soils, we sometimes need a more defensive hybrid. Weeds are a common problem with soils in most of our territories. Overall, we saw effective weed control this year, but we’re going to need to use all resources available to keep fields clean in the year to come. We recommend looking at Enlist E3® and Xtend Flex® platforms. Enlist covers Roundup®, Liberty® and 2,4-D, while Xtend Flex covers dicamba, Roundup and Liberty. The trait platforms both have good genetics for yields and we haven’t seen any yield loss from either trait platform, so 2023 seed selection will be based on personal preferences and your individual needs. Application timing may be the deciding factor for many growers when selecting soybean seed, as Xtend Flex has an application cutoff date of June 20 (date subject to change).
At the end of the day, it is going to be increasingly important to understand management if you want to fine tune your fields and maximize your next growing season. Knowing your goals for what kind of farming practice you are striving for helps us set expectations for you. We want to know whether you want to plant and be done, or have continual in-season product application. We also want to help connect you with the best financing option for your operation.
When planning your seed selection for 2023, talk to an expert who knows your farming practices and your fields. GIVE US A CALL and let’s make a plan.
