Crop Observations Leading Up to 2021 Harvest

Dan Ritter, Central Region

The preharvest tours and even some early field results have been completed. As the saying goes, it’s “as advertised”. The crop in most areas looks good to great especially taking into consideration the conditions we faced. We have a few areas that were just plain unlucky and on the wrong side of weather events.

When it comes to “show me the yield”... wow! One early yield monitor ping with DS-5250AM™ brand was 392 bushels in northwest Indiana. We look forward seeing more yield results in the coming weeks. One of the hottest topics of the growing season has been Tar Spot. In our travels, plots and fields observations, Dairyland Seed has a real advantage when dealing with this disease. Some of our early highlights and shining stars so far.

DS-5250AM™ brand: It should continue to report big yields. This would be especially true in areas where weather conditions were more ideal. It is a big showy plant with equally showy ears.

DS-5279Q™ brand: Still the same good old tough-it-out get-it-done hybrid. Its looks hold the bottom up in those tougher environments and still has plenty of top end yield. Where it looks average, be prepared for a surprise. This one likes to be sneaky and hide its yield.

DS-5144Q™ brand: In our travels, it has looked great all season from start to finish, and we found very few places where it looked off. It may have looked even better in areas where we moderated the population. Just good solid consistent performance across a lot of environments.

DS-4917AM™ brand: Very consistent this year. Every plot, every field, it just looks tremendous. Nice big girthy ears. Every one filled to the tip. A shorter, sturdy plant helped “weather” many storms this year. This is one case where it may not be as advertised -- this hybrid may have more toughness than previously thought.

DS-4878™ brand family: Another shining star with crazy big yields reaching into the 300 bushel mark. Its best performance is on better soil, but will handle tough ground. In those tougher environments, timely harvest will prove to be a key. It is a hybrid that could benefit from a fungicide application especially in heavy Tar Spot areas.

DS-4510Q™ brand: Started out of the ground early and stayed ahead of the pack all season. Similar to DS-5250AM™ brand, it will have big showy ears. Ear consistency is also a trait this hybrid is known to produce. It has the durability to work across all soil types and, from this year’s observations, could move south for early harvest options as well.

DS-4014Q™ brand: It is a number one seller for a reason! DSM Don Erwin raves on this product and brings it to everyone’s attention as to how well it performs. Erwin is a tough critic of products and it has earned his approval. It does looks exceptionally well in his district and across the Dairyland Seed marketing footprint. It has the agronomics and yield to out-earn a high percentage of a farm’s acreage.

Mark Gibson, Eastern Region

DS-5250AM™ brand: This 112-day hybrid has looked strong all year. Great emergence and early season vigor. This hybrid has handled the lack of water that areas in Indiana experienced this year very well. Foliar health is excellent. Medium tall plant height, robust stature and incredibly wide leaves allows for very little light penetration to the soil. Great ear flex produces a large girthy ear with high test weight.

DS-5279Q™ brand: This tough 112-day hybrid has great adaptability across northeast Indiana. Rapid and even emergence with great foliar health makes this hybrid suited for all management types. Medium tall plant height makes DS-5279Q™ brand an attractive corn. Moderate ear flex allows for consistent ear size and great test weight.

DS-5144Q™ brand: 111-day hybrid with strong emergence is a great fit for northeast Indiana and seems to favor heavy soils and responds well to high management. Tall plant type with excellent health and great stalks and standability. Great ear flex and kernel depth.

DS-4917AM™ brand: 109-day racehorse hybrid with tremendous yield potential. After planting and once soil conditions stabilize in the spring, this short-statured hybrid responds well to high management. Excellent standability and plant health. Medium to low ear placement, white cob with tremendous kernel depth.

DS-4878AM™ brand and DS-4878Q™ brand: 108 day hybrids are the first out of the ground. Excellent early season vigor, plant health, and this hybrid has tolerated drouthy conditions very well. Consistent medium plant height and great stalk strength. Excels in all management situations. Great ear flex and grain fill.

DS-4510Q™ brand: Extremely healthy 105-day hybrid with strong emergence and early vigor. Handles drought stress well. Great stalk strength and medium plant height. Moves well from southern Michigan to central Indiana. Great ear flex makes for girthy ears. Fits all soil types and responds well to high management.

Amanda Goffnett, Eastern Region

Overall, the spring in Michigan this year was abnormally dry with a couple freeze events around the middle and end of May. Timely rains in July and August provided the crops with much needed moisture for the reproductive stages. Here are some products standing out this year.

DS-3022AM™ brand: Was quick out of the ground this year and looking great in plots. Good ear flex and excellent tip fill. Holding up very well against Tar Spot. Best if positioned on better ground.

DS-3550AM™/Q brand: Shorter plant with wide leaves and a nice dark green color. Healthy plant that puts on big girthy ears. Can handle some variability but performs best on better soils.

DS-3959AM™/Q brand: Slower emerging hybrid but very consistent. Shows some purpling until about V1-V2 growth stage. Average height plant with a nice dark green color and very good standability. Puts on a nice ear with some flex and good tip fill.

DS-4014Q™ brand: Excellent emergence, one of the first hybrids out of the ground. Good plant health and good on Tar Spot. Best if kept on better soils.

DS-4310AM™/Q brand: Slower out of the ground but consistent plant. Looks really good this year, nice ears with good girth and big kernels. Very good standability.

DS-4510Q™ brand: Excellent emergence and early vigor. Very good plant health, color and height. Nice ear with good ear flex. Looks great almost everywhere.

Branden Furseth, Northern Region

Sub-90-day, the ruggedness and versatility of DS-2350RR™ brand and DS-2828AM™ brand have impressed this year.

Emergence on DS-3022AM™ brand this spring seemed to be much better than our product guide scores would suggest, but the real highlight is the yield potential that will challenge hybrids of much greater maturity. Properly placed in higher yielding situations, this hybrid should be on any early 90-day farm.

The DS-3366™ brand family is having an impressive year, showing me a rugged gear and top-end gear that won’t disappoint. Fast to black layer, DS-3366™ brand has superb grain quality and test weight with great all-around agronomics.

Moving up to 97-day, its fun to get the first look of the top-end yield potential of DS-3727AM™ brand. While I observed better cold tolerance in other 95 to 99 day products, DS-3727AM™ brand flexes out nicely and will be tough to beat in higher management scenarios.

Lastly, I think we are starting to better understand the toughness that DS-4014Q™ brand brings to the table. While it truly shines in high-yield environments, its drought tolerance, strong emergence and ear flex bring great versatility.

Brian Weller, Western Region

Being an Dairyland Seed Agronomist at harvest time is like being younger and waiting for Christmas to open presents. The difference is we get to look at our presents and see the results multiple times in the fall.

Products that I am patiently waiting yield results for are DS-3727AM™ brand and DS-3959AM™/Q brand. Both products are very good on drought and Goss’s Wilt and look to have good yields coming in to harvest.

DS-3727AM™ brand and DS-3959AM™/Q brand look to compliment DS-3810Q™ brand as well as DS-4000AMXT™ brand and DS-4014Q™ brand.