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Look at more than yield when selecting seed

Extension crop experts are reminding farmers to look at more than yield when selecting seed for the next growing season.

Jeff Coulter, a corn agronomist with the University of Minnesota, says growers should look for hybrids that perform well across a range of environments.

“In southern and central Minnesota, for example.  And if that’s also performing well in the company results that they’re providing (as well as) other trials, say by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.  That would be a candidate hybrid that I would want to be looking at for next year.”

Minnesota Extension recently released the results of its 2017 Field Crop Trials, with scientists testing the performance of public and private varieties of grain and oilseed crops.

Soybean agronomist Seth Naeve tells Brownfield relative maturity also needs to be accounted for.

“The maturity date is really helpful to be able to identify common varieties that are sold as multiple brands.  So that’s another nice way these maturity lineups let farmers easily go through and look at the multiple characteristics and see how they line up for common varieties.”

 

Jeff Coulter audio:

 

Seth Naeve audio: