Research has always been a priority for Stine®, as evident by our industry-leading corn and soybean breeding programs and Elite Yield Trials. Data drives our decisions. We are always looking for new and innovative ways to prove the performance of our products. That’s why, for the past few years, our agronomy team has been strategizing and implementing our Product Development Plot (PDP) program — deploying plots throughout the country to help us better evaluate our hybrids and varieties before commercialization.
“Our PDP plots provide valuable insights that allow us to review the latest germplasm from our Elite Yield Trials through replicated strip trial plots throughout the country,” says Tom Larson, director of agronomy. “Our PDP plots will be even more complex in 2024, providing us data, confidence and clarity for our new and upcoming products.”
Soybean PDP plots
Consistency and accuracy are essential parts of the strict guidelines for our PDP program. We will set up plots for our soybean program in 46 locations throughout the country, up from 30 last year. Each plot will have seven to eight varieties, including some competitors, with two to three maturity sets per location. Plots are planted by maturity, and planting population for each will be 140k/acre.
Our agronomy team will complete reference checks throughout the season and then compare all locations and data sets to paint a true picture of performance. They’ll also conduct soil sampling at each location, looking at fertility and various diseases and insects present, including iron deficiency chlorosis and soybean cyst nematodes, that can greatly impact yield results. They’ll also evaluate seed treatment performance to see how these inputs protect the seedlings and crops throughout the season.
“The soybean PDP plots will give us a true look at how products perform in varying environments, factoring in weather, insects and diseases,” says Larson. “They’re a great resource to train our sales team so they can see firsthand how the upcoming products will perform in growers’ fields once commercially available.”
Corn PDP plots
Our corn PDP plots help us evaluate high-yielding Stine Elite Yield Trial hybrids and industry hybrids prior to commercialization. Information gleaned from our corn PDP plot program aids in the selection process of future products. Each Stine region will have at least one corn PDP plot. Products will be planted by height or maturity (replicated), with a minimum of 12-row plots with the center six rows harvested. Stine agronomists will also conduct flag studies on each plot to evaluate emergence and season-long performance.
Agronomic data collected as part of our corn PDP program includes seed quality in bag; emergence and early-season observations; general plant observation; disease ratings; plant, ear and tassel heights; silking and pollination dates; late-season roots, stalk and overall plant health; test weight and grain quality; harvestable ear percentage; and more.
“At the end of the season, we’ll have reviewed 80 different agronomic attributes on each product,” says Larson. “Our research is thorough for a reason. We want only the best products placed on our growers’ fields; the ones we know will yield in their environments.”
To learn more about our PDP plot program, view this article. To speak with a Stine sales rep about viewing one of our plots this upcoming season, contact your local rep here.