At Stine, we get asked a lot about our conventional corn. Because many people know Stine for our large soybean breeding program, they may not know we also breed a lot of corn. This puts us in a unique position because we are a genetics company first, and the base of our breeding program is conventional. In fact, we’re one of the only corn companies that actively develops new conventional genetics.
Stine also has the advantage of being an independent, family-owned seed company. While we collaborate with trait platforms and trait providers, we are not solely tied to those products and companies. We have the ability to work with any trait or trait provider, allowing us to bring brand new conventional genetics to the market faster than the competition.
Why is this important? Growers right now are looking for ways to save money. My main recommendation to growers is to not cut costs by selecting a lower-quality hybrid. You need the highest yield potential possible to have the highest revenue. So, when growers are trying to select hybrids, I recommend they find the highest-yielding hybrid and then try to find the best trait platform that fits their program. I recommend looking for the best herbicide and insect platforms for their needs. If they don’t need something that has rootworm or corn borer protection, then they don’t need to pay for it. We have several options for growers who need only a straight conventional platform. These lines are more economical but still deliver high-quality, high-yielding genetics.
Stine conventional hybrids are very unique in the industry and can help growers maximize yield while cutting costs. Contact your local Stine sales rep for more details about our conventional corn options and best management practices for those options in 2019.