Seed: Ask A Good Question; Get A Good Crop

Jan 10, 2017

Good questions to ask your soybean seed supplier

You only get one chance to select your soybean varieties, and there's a lot to consider. Below, University of Wisconsin soybean specialist Shawn Conley, Ph.D., offers five questions you should ask your seed dealer to help you get the information you need to select the right varieties for your acres.

1. What yield data is available?

Ask for a diverse set of yield data. In addition to knowing how well the variety performed in your area last year, it’s important to look at performance data across a variety of environmental conditions. Rapid genetic turnover, coupled with weather variability, makes it critical to select varieties that perform well across environments.

2. What is the source and level of disease resistance?

Know you field history and ask about the level of resistance for key diseases. It’s also important to understand the source of resistance for key diseases, such as soybean cyst nematode, as some traits are more effective than others.

3. What seed treatment options are available?

Ask about seed treatments that can help protect varieties that may be susceptible to key pests and diseases.

4. What herbicide-tolerance traits are available?

Discuss your weed pressures and herbicide-resistance issues you face to help determine the right herbicide-tolerance traits to fit in your weed-management plan.

Video: predictive weed Management saves on herbicide costs and increases yield potential

Gowan Canada is partnering with Geco Strategic Weed Management to help Canadian growers take a strategic approach to weed control through data-driven prediction and planning.

Geco’s technology uses data and AI to map where weeds have been over the past five years and predict where patches are likely to emerge next season. These insights allow farms and retailers to plan ahead and target actions in the most challenging areas.

“Our technology enables the question: if you could know where your most problematic patches are and where they are spreading to, what could you do differently? That’s what our technology makes possible,” said Greg Stewart, CEO of Geco. “Many of our farms are already using our prescriptions along with Gowan products, so this collaboration is a natural next step.”