ASK THE AGRONOMIST BLOG

The ag industry is abuzz with conversations of a revolution. Short-stature corn is changing the game, and more seed companies than ever before are starting to play. At Stine^®, we’re elated the rest of the industry is leaping forward with this way of thinking — a mindset that short-stature corn is the way of the future. We are proud to have been at the forefront of this revolution for the past three decades. Now, we are well positioned to offer growers short-stature corn products that have been time-tested, generation after generation, for ultimate yield performance.

The origins of Stine short-stature corn
“We stumbled upon short-stature corn by accident,” says Stine President Myron Stine. “We began breeding corn in the 1970s, but what we didn’t realize then is that with each passing year, our hybrids were getting shorter and shorter. Essentially, we were selecting the highest-yielding genetics in our program to move on to the next generation, and our highest-yielding germplasm just so happened to be from shorter plants. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that this became apparent after we started looking at plant height in our plots.”

Since our corn breeding program’s inception, the main criteria we’ve used to select the genetic material that advances to future generations are standability and yield. As history tells us, the highest yield is produced in high-population environments. Simply put, the more plants per acre, the more yield. This knowledge has always steered us to select products that handle the stress of being in higher populations and advance those through our breeding program. 

“We didn’t purposefully get into short-stature corn; our breeding process brought that to us,” says Stine. “Now, we know it’s the way of the future.”

Our position in the industry
Our winter nursery work has allowed us to produce more generations of short-stature corn each year — faster than other seed companies in the industry. Our shorter material has evolved to produce plants that have better standability, more upright leaves for better utilization of sunlight, ideal ear placement, less biomass and the ability to thrive in higher population environments.

“Our advantage in the industry is that we’ve been working with short-stature corn a lot longer than our competitors,” says Stine. “We’re probably about 50 to 60 generations ahead of the rest of the industry because we recognized its value early on. Now, Stine has some of the most refined short-stature germplasm in the industry.”

However, while our hybrids have always been shorter in stature compared to competitors, they’re likely not going to get any shorter.

“We feel we’ve hit the sweet spot for short-stature corn,” says Stine. “We once tested very, very short corn, and it failed. I don’t believe it will continue to get shorter at this point. Our focus is to continue to produce the most efficient plants that can thrive in higher populations.”

Features and benefits
Short-stature corn is more efficient. The shorter architecture of the plants not only allows for better standability but also makes more efficient use of nature’s resources. With our corn, in particular, the hybrids are designed to have a more upright leaf structure so the plants can harvest more sunlight; shorter tassels that are closer to the ear for pollination, and better ear placement ideal for harvestability. Our short-stature corn also produces less biomass, leaving less residue after harvest. And most importantly, our short-stature corn thrives in high-population environments — the key to getting higher yields.

“As we move to high-population environments, shorter plants tend to fare better than taller plants because they make better use of the space they’re allowed in,” says Stine. “With our hybrids, we’ve figured out the secret to putting grain on the plant — a much shorter plant — and in higher populations. It’s truly a revolution in corn production.”

To learn more about our short-stature corn, contact your local Stine sales rep or regional sales agronomist.

Our Stine agronomy department is working with sales team members to install METOS^® weather stations in our Master Yield in the Field (MYIF) plots. We’re confident this effort will provide more actionable data to our grower customers.

As our MYIF plots are located throughout the United States, these weather stations will provide us with important agronomic data in different regions and growing environments.

“The weather stations track accurate rainfall, wind speed and growing degree days in real-time without relying on public data,” says Todd Schomburg, director of agronomy.

Each station is equipped with a solar panel, wind speed sensor, and automated rain gauge that sends valuable information directly to the FieldClimate cloud, giving immediate access to the data from any smart device.

“This technology is the next evolution in weather stations,” says Schomburg.

Specifically, METOS notes the stations are designed to monitor basic meteorological parameters, including rain and temperature, humidity, solar radiation, wind speed and soil characteristics such as moisture and soil temperature (if installed with a soil probe). They also have packages that offer applications that detect frost, leaf wetness, disease models, evapotranspiration, hydrology, etc. Data is measured in five-minute intervals and delivered to the FieldClimate cloud every 15 minutes.

“These elements will help determine when soil is ready for planting, conditions are ideal for disease proliferation, and so much more,” says Schomburg. “We’re excited about how these stations will help improve crop management throughout the planting and growing seasons and deliver better data for our customers.”

Another unique advantage to the METOS weather stations — they’re environmentally friendly. When sun is available, the unit can recharge its battery through the solar panel connected to the device.

“The units are cost-effective, environmentally sound and easy to use,” says Schomburg. “Some have been installed and we’re already receiving great data that will help us determine when to get the plots in the ground.”

More on our MYIF plots
Stine plants at least two MYIF plots per sales region each year. With 36 regions across the country, we’re planting nearly 70 plots this year in collaboration with our grower partners. MYIF plots have between six to 10 Stine corn products, including our newest hybrids along with experimental products to look at as future hybrids in the lineup. To ensure a level playing field, we also have up to two national competitor brands and, when available, a local competitive brand in the mix for comparison purposes.

“The main goal of our Master Yield in the Field plots is to derive as much data possible from our corn products and those of our competitors,” says Schomburg. “We monitor everything from emergence scores and stand counts to ear and tassel height, in addition to different biologicals and inputs used and planting populations and row configurations.”

These plots are valuable in producing the highest quality data for our growers and make a great training resource for our sales team.

“We also use our Master Yield in the Field plots for training,” adds Schomburg. “They allow our seed dealers and sales team members to study the products and understand how they perform in different environments. They’re extremely valuable to our operations all around.”

For more information on our MYIF plots and data generated from our weather station program, contact your local Stine sales rep or regional sales agronomist.

In a year when there’s lingering uncertainty about which crop inputs may be available by the planting and growing seasons, there are ways growers can plan ahead. One option for growers is seed treatments. While there are many seed treatments on the market, a lot of thought and consideration needs to take place before you decide which product will best suit your seed. Our experts provide a few considerations on understanding and evaluating seed treatments.

Back to the basics
One key tip to remember regarding seed treatments is that they do not enhance the yield capability of the seed you purchase; instead, they protect the genetic potential of the seed. To achieve top-end yields, you need to rely on the latest, highest-yielding genetics on the market before you consider your seed treatment options. Once you’re ready to start the conversation about seed treatment options, answer these questions.

• What are the agronomic challenges that could come about this year? What were the challenges last year, and could they be present again this year? Could a seed treatment help?
• What ingredients are in the seed treatments? How do these ingredients provide value to the seed?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the seed treatment? Will it help protect my seed from the issues I’ve seen in the past that could potentially impact my fields this spring?
• What are the rate and unit recommendations? What rates will make the product more effective for my seed?

It’s also important to understand the three components of seed treatments:

• Insecticides: Insecticides provide additional protection from below- and above-ground pests. They can protect your seed investment against below-ground pests such as wireworms, seedcorn maggots and white grubs. And, early on, they can protect against above-ground pests such as various worm species, bean leaf beetles, aphids and thrips. For insecticides, another consideration is the dosage level. Protection will only last if the dosage remains lethal in the plant, so as the plant’s biomass increases, the level of insecticide within the plant will likely decrease. This is where continual scouting for pests and post-emergent insecticide applications may be necessary.
• Fungicides: If soil-borne pathogens, such as Pythium spp., Phytophthora spp., Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium spp., are present in your fields or if seed-borne Phomopsis and Sclerotinia are a concern, fungicide treatments should be a consideration. Fungicides help protect your seed investment from these unwanted pathogens.
• Additives: Just as their name implies, additives essentially add more value to the seed treatment products, whether it provides extra protection or an easier way to apply the product. Common additive products can include:
  • Nematicides — Nematicides are added to seed treatments to help combat soybean cyst nematodes in soybeans and stinging nematodes in corn.
  • Planting polymers — Adding planting polymers to a seed treatment can result in smoother, better-flowing seed, which enables more accurate planting.
  • Inoculants and/or bio-stimulants — Inoculants and bio-stimulants are live bacteria applied directly to the seed to provide better protection against pests and/or achieve a faster-growing seed.
  • Boosters — Growers can add other fungicides or insecticides (boosters) to their desired seed treatment to boost the performance of a given weakness of the treatment. For example, if the main fungicide is weak on Rhizoctonia, a booster product may be added to fill in this gap in protection.

Lesson summary
Remember, before you identify which seed treatment will best suit your seed, understand your field history, and then ask the right questions. Which pests and diseases could pose a threat to your fields this year? Of the seed treatments you’re considering, what value would they add to protect your seed? What ingredients are in the treatment and at what rates are recommended? Would an additive provide extra protection? Would an additive provide extra protection? It’s critical to choose the treatment that addresses your needs and will adequately protect the investment in the genetics you have purchased.

As always, your local Stine sales representative and regional sales agronomist will help you every step of the way to protect your high-yielding Stine genetics. Considering seed treatments for 2022? Give us a call, and be sure to ask about our line of Stine XP soybean seed treatments.