IARN — Iowa farmers zeroed in on harvest will soon need to make important decisions for the upcoming crop season.
Jim McDermott, DEKALB Asgrow technical agronomist in northwest Iowa, says, “Naturally, a lot of decisions are going to be made with data from 2020.” However, McDermott reminds farmers, “2021 is probably going to be a different year.”
“We don’t know what Mother Nature is going to throw at us,” McDermott says. “Stress tolerance will be a key factor, but we do need to keep in mind products that have top-end yield potential, the offensive products. Looking at the multi-year data does help that process.”
DEKALB’s new product lineup offers insect protection, stress tolerance, and top-end yield potential. Harvest data for new products, such as DKC5218, DKC5665, DKC5862, “look excellent in terms of ear development and standability,” according to McDermott.
“All three of these products have a version of SmartStax,” McDermott says. “We have seen problems with corn rootworm and as of now, SmartStax is the best tool to handle that situation. We have seen problems with (corn) rootworm and as of now, SmartStax is the best tool to handle that situation.”
Bayer has offered its SmartStax technology for just under a decade. The product features multiple modes of action for protection against below ground and above ground pests, and will soon flaunt another mode of action to help in the fight against the most devastating rootworm, says McDermott.
“We have a trait coming, called SmartStax PRO,” McDermott says. “We’re excited about this particular trait, (which is) bringing in an additional mode of action on corn rootworm. That’s going to have a nice fit in corn-on-corn acres, but even on extended diapause rotated acres.”
Story courtesy of the Iowa Agrbusiness Radio Network
Photo courtesy of DEKALB Asgrow
