Crop Observations Leading Up to Harvest

Dan Ritter, Central Region

Observation from the Central region. The blatant observation was a dry growing season. Rains in mid-September helped alleviate this, but in many cases a little too late. That taken into account, I have been impressed with many products this year. We have a couple hybrids (DS-5210AM, DS-4878AM and DS4878Q) that we thought may not work as well in a year similar to what we just experienced, but this year they
seemed to have handled the lack of rain in stellar fashion. The agronomy team has been very pleased with their performance.

Consistency is key to good performance in the field and a couple hybrids come to mind when we discuss that trait. The first is DS-4580 which could be termed “agronomically boring”. Boring as in there are typically no surprises -- it’s the same thing everywhere we see it. A true blue collar hybrid, it shuts its mouth, grabs its lunch box and gets to work!

It has some sharp looking grain, good plant health and great tip fill. DS-4440AMXT™ is another one of those go get it done products. It’s  consistent and really excelled on some tough dry conditions. It may not have the yield punch of DS-4580Q™ this year, but has been predictable and seems to hold in there, plot to plot and field to field. 

Let’s not forget DS-4310Q™. It was a beast last year and looks to do the same in 2020. Heavy hitters like DS-5323AM™ look tremendous where they had some moisture. They were built for top-end and where conditions were conducive, they are certainly going to do so. On the fuller season side, take a long look at the DS-5319™ genetics. They have looked very sharp across the region as well.

Terry Jones, Eastern Region

After evaluating many plots in various geographies throughout Michigan, I am excited to say that Dairyland Seed has the best product portfolio that I have seen in my 42-year career. It, no doubt, is a very exciting time at Dairyland Seed.

In general, our new lineup offers more choices in all maturity zones with very good plant health, great agronomics and top of the line performance. A majority of our corn offerings also provide flexible placement of our hybrids for those farms with variable soil types, which most growers need.

Dairyland Seed has many very good hybrids. However, there are five standouts this year in eastern Michigan that I would like to share with you.

DS-3162Q™: Tall, handsome plant with all of the agronomics that you could ask for, with great foliar health and perfect for variable soil types.

DS-3550Q™/AM: Short statured plant with big chunky ears with above average foliar health. Will do well on those variable soil type farms.

DS-4014Q™: Medium height corn with great agronomics, very good early vigor and will do well on variable soils.

DS-4440AMXT™/AM: Medium statured plant with agronomic toughness, nice foliar health and may be planted on variable soils with confidence.

DS-4878Q™/AM: A short statured upright plant with good foliar health and a big chunky ear. It may confidently may be placed on variable
soils. I think of it being similar to a short DS-9508RA™ with better grain quality and plant health.

My suggestion is to combine these hybrids with other great hybrids to help smooth out any bumps in the road that mother nature will throw at you. The hybrid selections for the 2021 growing season gives us all something to look forward to in the future.

Rod King, Eastern Region

Fall is well underway, and that means the harvest is on. It’s a great time of the year as you see the benefits of your intensive planning and long hours of planting and caring for a crop. It’s also a time to look ahead, and begin the process for next year’s crop.

Here are a few of the hybrids that have stood out as I have been in plots and fields taking notes this season.

DS-3162Q™, DS-3193AM™, DS-3345AM™, and DS-366AM™ (or Q): This group of new hybrids from 91-93 day RM has been impressive all summer. Overall, these hybrids show very strong agronomics and look like they will yield very well. I will let the combine sort these out for specific placement. We’ll be comparing yields under various stress conditions.

DS-3550AM™/Q: Doesn’t catch your eye at first glance -- it is a short-statured hybrid. But the wide leaves, good plant health, and ear  development merit another look. It has taken a lot of stress and yet is succeeding in putting on big girthy ears. Yield will be outstanding. Every farm, better soils.

DS-4014Q™: New for 2021, showed bestin-plot early emergence. Should set a new yield potential level. Keep on best soils and in Michigan.

DS-4878AM™/Q: Likely a new performance leader in this maturity. Huge upside potential with very strong agronomics and widespread
adaptability. Has been impressive east to west, north to south, and across various levels of stress. Every farm hybrid for sure.

DS-5144Q™: This new hybrid has had great eye-appeal all summer. From very good emergence to season long leaf health, it looks like it will fit the eastern part of Dairyland Seed’s footprint well. Grain quality looks to be outstanding, and it should be best-in class test weight. A likely contender for a lot of acres.

DS-5210AM™: I thought this hybrid was a “high-flyer”, meaning I wasn’t sure how much stress it would take. It has been an eye-catcher all summer and in many, including moderately stressed, environments. Huge yield potential with better than anticipated plant health and drought tolerance.

Brian Weller, Western Region

As an Agronomist, I am always amazed how plants improvise and adapt to the weather that Mother Nature throws at them. The weather in 2020 has been “unique” to say the least. Cooler in some areas to start the growing season, wetter in others, hotter and drier in more areas than we would have thought of last fall as well as early this spring, and lastly, just a little on the windy side. 

Corn hybrids that have adapted to Mothers Nature’s curve balls this year and that have caught my attention are:

DS-3550AM™ /Q: Shorter statured plant that seems to perform well to very well in many different environments. Reminds me of the phrase “Dynamite comes in small packages” with its height, however, ear and kernel size grabs your attention. Place on better soils, but will be fun to watch. 

DS-4000AMXT™: Medium plant height that handles the pressure of corn on corn. Very good emerging product that has consistent ears, good drought capabilities and looks to perform very well across many soil types.

DS-4014Q™: Shorter statured plant that rockets out of the ground and looks to be a good to very good yielder. I would prefer this product be placed on rotated acres, however, with adequate management could see it being placed on select corn on corn fields in the future.

I am very impatiently waiting for combines to start grain harvest and plots to start coming in because I want to see how newer products in the 85-93 day range such as DS-2505AM™ or Q, DS-3162Q™, DS-3193AM™, DS-3345AM™ and DS-3366AM™ or Q are going to perform.
Conversely, I am also curious as to see how DS-4440AMXT™ and DS-4580Q™ are going to compete with each other, I have several “bets” as to see which will outperform the other.

Lastly, it will be interesting to see how DS-4878Q™ or AM will yield compared to DS-9508RA™ in which we have seen some very high
yields in the last few years.

Have a safe harvest season.

Branden Furseth, Northern Region

As I track our new products for 2021 through this season, I am excited for the introduction of four products in the 91 to 93-day corn maturities. The strength of these hybrids will rival the success we have experienced in our lineup at the 95 to 105-day maturities
during the past few seasons. As a whole, they bring great yield potential with the ability to finish true to their relative maturity and plant health is excellent all around. All have looked good through 2020.

DQ-3162Q is a stable and consistent performer while DS-3193AM is made for winning yield trials.

DS-3345AM brings elite test weight to a short statured plant type.

DS-3366Q/AM has demonstrated exceptional toughness through variable conditions, and I think yield results will reflect that appropriately.

Dropping a little further in maturity, I have been watching our new DS-2505Q/AM family very closely for 85-day grain corn. This will be a good compliment to DS-2350RR/C at 83 day. 

We had a limited look at DS-2350RR/C last year, but it was enough to learn about its toughness in variable soils.

DS-2505Q/AM appears to bring added yield potential in full trait packages for a broad number of acres.