By Jonathan LaPorte
Have you placed your seed order yet—to secure your free hat? Free hats or other rewards have become synonymous with ordering seed over the decades, and it’s getting to be that time of year when seed companies start visiting farms to secure next year’s corn and soybean orders. What seed you decide to order is a key part of your farm’s profit potential. Every bag of seed you buy needs to perform well on your acres and be at a reasonable price.
To get the most out of your seed order, start with planning ahead and understanding the options.
Evaluating varieties on the farm
The first place you should look to evaluate seed options is on the acres currently planted. You may have some yield numbers as harvest has begun, but if you aren’t in harvest yet, taking early yield estimates helps to determine what hybrids/varieties you want again next year. How and when to take yield estimates is essential. You want to be consistent in the methods used for estimates so that you have accurate, reliable information on each variety.
For corn and soybean estimates, refer to the Michigan State University Extension articles “Estimating corn yield potential” and “Estimating soybean yields prior to harvest.”
Yield is our main performance indicator, but the management it took to get those yields is also important. Each variety comes with expectations based on what we saw in test plots or read in the seed catalog. Consider how those expectations match what happened in-season on your farm. The key is to identify varieties that meet expectations more often without added management.
The varieties or hybrids that require more management (for example, an extra fungicide pass because they are more susceptible to certain disease) often result in additional costs. These costs need to be considered when looking at seed prices. Those additional costs may mean a higher performer doesn’t come back next year if it does not have enough of a yield advantage at harvest.
Source : msu.edu