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To overcome the weather obstacles that limit domestic production in the U.S. Corn Belt, Stine relies on off-season research through a process called fast generation breeding.
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The process begins when two Stine Elite corn lines are crossed to make a new population, which will serve as a source for new inbred lines.
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After the first U.S. growing season, this seed is sent to Stine’s breeding facility in South America.
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Researchers “turn” a generation of corn every 90 days, even if the genetics involved normally mature in 120 or more days. That equates to four generations of corn each calendar year in a field environment.
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Stine is one of six companies in the world involved in the development of new corn inbreds, with a unique “bank” of germplasm. Stine’s germplasm base has, for several decades now, undergone high-population testing, shaping what Stine uses today.
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The process now shifts to pre-elite trials where Stine’s hybrids are tested in six-row plots, unlike most competitors who test in two- or four-row plots.
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Stine’s six-row plots, across the cornbelt, have proven to deliver more consistent and more realistic yield data than smaller plots.
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Only five percent of the hybrids tested will make it through the Pre-Elite Yield Trials.
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Lines that successfully complete the Pre-Elite Trials act as a source for new populations and continuing on through at least three more years of testing before heading into production.
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Fast generation breeding allows Stine to produce a new line of corn in about six years, compared to eight years or more for most other companies. Stine’s vigorous yield trials ensure growers get the top-performing, highest-yielding corn on the market.