Intensified Corn Research Results In High Yields For NK® Corn

 

Corn growers now have greater access to the genetics and traits they need to achieve record-breaking yields. NK® Corn hybrids from Syngenta offer innovative technology, which helped growers average a 2.4 bushels-per-acre performance advantage against DeKalb® and Pioneer®1  hybrids, based on 14,910 comparisons in 2014.

 

Higher-yielding NK Corn hybrids with breakout genetics are developed through the Y.E.S. Yield Engineering System™. This unique system uses advanced technologies that result in a faster breeding cycle for accelerated genetic yield gain. NK Corn hybrids combine the Syngenta portfolio of traits, technologies and genetics to deliver the locally adapted hybrids growers need to grow more corn.

 

“Our top-end genetics have provided growers with consistent yields the past few years, and the favorable environmental conditions in 2014 also allowed NK Corn hybrids to deliver strong yields,” said Joe Bollman, NK Corn genetics product lead at Syngenta. “The broad portfolio of NK Corn hybrids provide strong seed choices for every grower.”

 

When selecting corn hybrids, growers should consider yield, environmental stressors and relative maturity, says the University of Minnesota Extension. Growers planting corn in areas with history of drought or high pest pressures should select hybrids with tolerance or resistance to these agronomic issues. Varying maturities on a farm spreads the risk of damage due to pest pressure and staggers harvest.

 

This year, growers can select from 52 new corn hybrids from Syngenta that incorporate new-to-market genetics across a broad range of maturities. These hybrids, resulting from a broad genetic pool and innovative digital breeding process, feature key agronomic characteristics such as standability, and disease and drought tolerance.

 

NK Corn hybrids include the latest traits and technologies from Syngenta for best-in-class insect control, water optimization and herbicide tolerance. For example, Artesian™ corn hybrids have been shown to convert water to grain more effectively than other hybrids. This elite class of high-performing hybrids helps growers maximize yield when it rains and increase yield when it doesn’t.

 

NK Corn hybrids also feature high-performing insect traits for above- and below-ground insect control, including the Agrisure Viptera® trait for control of a broad spectrum of lepidopteran pests, and the Agrisure Duracade® trait, the latest corn rootworm technology in the industry.