As an agronomist, it’s in my nature to always be scanning for problems, and at times I marvel at how we even make a crop. Yet the USDA is forecasting a record national corn yield of 177 bu/A. That number alone speaks to the overall stellar growing season that U.S. farmers experienced. But, as with every year, 2021 wasn’t without its trials. While farmers in the deep south experienced an above-average growing season, extreme drought plagued the northern and western corn belt, and pockets of saturated soils and Tar Spot ravaged the eastern corn belt.

Although high disease pressure is never what we want to see, it does give us an opportunity determine which hybrids in the pre-commercial lineup can stand up to the test. This year, we analyzed potential new products in AgReliant’s Pre-Commercial Research (PCR) program and were able to identify segments of our germplasm that are putting up an impressive fight against Tar Spot, a disease that can be crippling without good health in a hybrid. The high disease pressure gave our agronomy team an opportunity to develop a solid rating system against the disease, and separate the products that perform. This rating system will be critical not only for selecting hybrids to plant in 2022, but also knowing how to manage those hybrids to bring peak performance.

Varying emergence, greensnap and drought conditions across the country also provided an opportunity to expand the data on our existing lineup. Nationally, LG60C12 stood out on stressed acres at low populations. LG59C72 topped plots in the 110 day maturity range with sound agronomics and yield you could buy a farm with. Results like this make it clear that the pre-commercial research conducted before new hybrids are released helps our agronomists thoroughly understand how to manage new products for peak performance. With nearly 200 plot locations and seven years of data collected before any hybrid hits the market, we are confident in our ability to provide farmers with robust agronomic insights to make decisions with, and reliable products that bring the continuous performance they need.

The agronomists at LG Seeds are continuously pouring their expertise into resources for your farm. Whether it’s updating product information with the latest disease ratings or sharing their findings in an agronomic article, our agronomists are committed to giving you the tools and information you need to succeed. If you’re looking for more information or help making a plan, get in touch with your local LG Seeds rep to start using this year’s results to plan for a successful season next year.