Each year your profit potential starts with the seed you choose. It serves as your offense against what the season throws at you, but seed genetics only get you so far.
“You select seed based on yield goals, but your chemistry decisions are your defense to protect that yield,” says Kirsten Garriott, national agronomy manager for LG Seeds. “You can’t consider one without the other.”
As you start to pencil out 2023 plans, start with self-reflection, says Whitney Monin, national agronomy manager for AgriGold. She encourages farmers to ask themselves:
- What am I doing well?
- What am I doing poorly?
- What can I try to improve on my crop goals?
- What weeds am I missing?
“Each year you need to determine what was the root cause of your problems — your management decisions or Mother Nature?” she says. “If you don’t go into the season with a plan, then you’re already behind.”
Once you answer those questions, Monin says, you can consult your experts for advice to build your plan. That can include your seed and chemistry providers, retailers and more.
“This is a complex situation we find ourselves in. Building the right management strategy to marry with your seed decision is a challenge; don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek out the people who are your local sources of truth,” she says. “This is a spread-it-all-out-on-the-table decision.”
OLD VERSUS NEW
Technology evolves quickly, so you need to dedicate some acres each year to testing new products, says Pat Holloway, field agronomist with Beck’s Hybrids.
“Corn hybrids are typically in the market for four or five years,” he says. “Soybean seed rotates out even quicker. We want farmers to use what is trusted and tried on their acres but then also take advantage of the new technology.”
Holloway encourages farmers to use trusted hybrids and varieties on around 70% of their acres, and test new products on the rest.
AVOID THE DOWNSIDE
Take the long view on your plan. “We have to make short-term decisions if availability is an issue,” Garriott says. “But you need a long-term strategy; that’s the discussion that doesn’t happen enough. If you know your long-term plans, can you preorder products to receive better prices?”
Once you nail down your top choices for seed, place your order.
“You can always make changes, but the longer you wait, the more difficult it is to get what you want,” Garriott says. “There’s not an upside to waiting, but there is a big downside.”
Sara Schafer uses her Missouri farm roots to cover crop management, business trends, farmland and more.
