Welcome 2024, good bye 2023. I want to thank everyone for your patronage this past year. I greatly appreciate every one of you and look forward to working with everyone again in 2024. Last growing season was a year for crops that we thought we would have wanted to forget back in July because of the drought. But once the combines started rolling this fall, the yields definitely showed us what today’s corn and soybean genetics can handle. Not only did the corn and soybeans show us yields we weren’t expecting, but winter wheat, silage, and alfalfa crop as well.
We learned a lot this year, from our side-by-sides and plots. It was interesting to see how some of the varieties handled the drought better than others. A few of the stand outs this year from the Dairyland grain corn varieties were 3881, 4219, and 4365. The 3881 is a brand new 98-day variety that showed to have yield and agronomics. The 3881 was the plot winner in the plot by our office. Throughout the growing season this was a number that caught my eye earlier and did not disappoint when the combine hit it. The 4219 once again had a great year. It showed us that it is a go-anywhere hybrid – it can go on your red clay hills down to the low ground with a yield that won’t disappoint.
The 4365 is our new Vorceed Enlist variety. I liked what we saw with the plant health and the yield. With our rootworm populations not showing any sign of decreasing, this new Vorceed trait is going to play a huge role for those heavy corn-on-corn acres. Our Dairyland soybeans have always had a great history of bringing a yield punch and this year was no exception. The 1505E, 1919E and 2188E were the heavy hitters this year. They showed awesome yields with a great defense against white mold and sudden death. The brand new Dairyland 1788E showed us some great yields that are going to make it a must plant for this upcoming growing season.
For all the silage customers out there Dairyland 5202, 4545 and 3802 had great tonnage backed with digestibility. The 4545 was second to none for tonnage this year. This hybrid topped every plot and won every side-by-side. In the world of dairy, not only do we need the tonnage but the digestibility needs to be
there as well, 4545 has it. Great stay-green and plant health for that longer harvest window.
Our new brands from Midwest Seed Genetics and Rob See Co. did not disappoint this year. We saw some great data coming in from our area from both of their line-ups, from side-by-sides to plots; both of these companies have some varieties that’ll work on all acres. If you haven’t already, don’t hesitate to call and set up a time to meet. I can tell you more about these independently-owned seed company’s with a rich history in the Midwest. For example, some of the more seasoned farmers out there might remember a seed company called Funks G Hybrids? Well, the Funks family is still going strong in the seed world
with Midwest Seed Genetics.
This winter, while we’re all complaining about the cold weather and the things that come with it, like ice-covered door yards and frozen stock tanks … Take a minute to think about – is there something I could do differently for next planting season? Could be your fertilizer program, spray program or maybe a change to the planter set up? Is there a foliar feed or seed treatment that you should try?
Something we’re going to be looking at very closely this upcoming year at Seed Xtreme is the world of biologicals. Over the last few years, the biology of the soil has become a huge topic in the world of agriculture. From what we’ve learned and still learning is it is definitely something everyone needs to be looking at. Not only is the data showing us a yield advantage but it’s also showing us the long-term benefits to the soil health. This upcoming season we will be testing some of these biologicals from Streamline Ag in designated biological plots to really see what they can do for soil and plant health.
This winter we are going to be holding a post-harvest meeting for our customers where we will have Todd Classen from Streamline Ag tell us more about the world of biologicals, how they work, and how they can benefit our acres. If you have never listened to Todd talk before, take a minute and YouTube some of his videos, you won’t be disappointed.
If you haven’t already got your seed order in, there is still time for some great cash discounts and still some financing options available. I hope to see everyone at our post-harvest meeting next month it should be a good time and hopefully everyone can learn something. Remember you’re never too old to learn something new. As always don’t hesitate to call if you need anything or have any questions, my phone is always on.