Look Beyond One Season to Choose Soybean Traits
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INDIANAPOLIS — Selecting soybean seed for 2020 is a complex decision, and there are more trait technologies available than ever. After a season beset by untimely rainfall and planting delays, farmers are focusing on more maturity options, disease tolerance and weed control convenience with their next crop.
“With a lot of wet conditions this year, farmers are looking for varieties with good tolerance to diseases like frogeye leaf spot and Phytophthora,” said Andy Robinson, Indiana Agronomist, Mycogen Seeds. “There are new varieties that offer tolerance to those diseases and new seed treatments to help protect against Phytophthora.”
Other diseases, such as iron deficiency chlorosis, white mold and sudden death syndrome, are contributing factors in seed selection for upper Midwest farmers, said Doug Becher, Minnesota Agronomist, Mycogen Seeds. Here are three tips to help farmers choose soybean trait technology that fits their unique needs.
- Evaluate past performance. While this year’s conditions are foremost in your mind, it’s important to take a longer view because no two seasons are alike. Assess yield data from this fall and past seasons to see how different varieties perform in your area. Even after a season with challenging weather conditions, you should become familiar with top performers in your area.
“Weather is always an unpredictable variable,” Robinson said. “Yield is usually the No. 1 factor in mind when selecting varieties, but standability is a close second. Especially late in the season, you want to protect your soybeans as much as possible from changing weather patterns.”
- Research each trait platform. Read the labels and consult with trusted advisers about what each technology offers, including which herbicides to pair and state restrictions. Then look at the variety agronomics. Document common weeds and diseases on your farm and share it with your retailer or seed specialist so you can work together on a plan that matches your needs.
“New technology is driven by the need for better weed control,” Becher said. “We must use multiple layers of chemistries, including residual herbicides and multiple modes of action. Otherwise, we’ll continue to face more resistant weeds.”
- Understand restrictions and tolerances. After harvest, reflect on specific weed challenges from recent seasons and use that information to choose traits with your desired herbicide and disease tolerances. Additionally, watch for cross-tolerances with new technology. Mycogen® brand Enlist E3™ soybeans are tolerant to 2,4-D choline, glyphosate and glufosinate, and the LibertyLink® trait is also tolerant to over-the-top applications of glufosinate. Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® technology offers tolerance to glyphosate and dicamba.
Several states have increased regulations on when and at what temperature to spray XtendiMax® herbicide and Engenia® herbicide. Because this minimizes the application window, decide now who is going to spray the crop next season.
Farmers who want to use new soybean traits in 2020 should talk to their local retailers now instead of waiting until February. There are more than 60 new Mycogen brand soybean varieties to choose from, and these varieties are available with every major herbicide trait technology, including Enlist E3 soybeans, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® and LibertyLink® technologies. After offering 14 Enlist E3 soybean varieties in 2019, farmers now have access to 40 Mycogen brand Enlist E3 soybean varieties for the 2020 season.
For more information about choosing soybean traits that work best for your farm, talk to your local retailer and visit Mycogen.com.
 After a prolonged harvest, disease and weed pressure is top of mind for 2020 seed selections. |
About Mycogen Seeds
Mycogen Seeds offers leading genetics in corn, soybeans, silage corn, sunflowers and canola. A retail seed company of Corteva Agriscience, Mycogen maintains a robust global research and development program. Mycogen delivers diverse seed solutions with high-performance genetics and the latest and broadest trait technology options. Mycogen works with its retail network to tailor product solutions and help farmers be better acre after acre. For more information about Mycogen® brand products, visit Mycogen.com or follow Mycogen Seeds on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
About Corteva Agriscience
Corteva Agriscience is a publicly traded, global pure-play agriculture company that provides farmers around the world with the most complete portfolio in the industry ― including a balanced and diverse mix of seed, crop protection and digital solutions focused on maximizing productivity to enhance yield and profitability. With some of the most recognized brands in agriculture and an industry-leading product and technology pipeline well positioned to drive growth, the company is committed to working with stakeholders throughout the food system as it fulfills its promise to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. Corteva Agriscience became an independent public company on June 1, 2019, and was previously the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont. More information can be found at www.corteva.com.
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™ ® Trademarks of Dow AgroSciences, DuPont or Pioneer, and their affiliated companies or their respective owners. Engenia and XtendiMax are Restricted Use Pesticides. The transgenic event in Enlist E3™ soybeans is jointly developed and owned by Dow AgroSciences LLC and MS Technologies LLC. Engenia® and LibertyLink® are registered trademarks of BASF. Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® and XtendiMax® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. Always read and follow label directions. ©2019 Mycogen Seeds
DO NOT APPLY DICAMBA HERBICIDE IN-CROP TO SOYBEANS WITH Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® technology unless you use a dicamba herbicide product that is specifically labeled for that use in the location where you intend to make the application. IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW TO MAKE AN IN-CROP APPLICATION OF ANY DICAMBA HERBICIDE PRODUCT ON SOYBEANS WITH Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® technology, OR ANY OTHER PESTICIDE APPLICATION, UNLESS THE PRODUCT LABELING SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZES THE USE. Contact the U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency with any questions about the approval status of dicamba herbicide products for in-crop use with soybeans with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® technology.
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Soybeans with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® technology contain genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate and dicamba. Glyphosate herbicides will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba.
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Contacts:
Kacey Birchmier
Corteva Agriscience
515-535-6149
kacey.birchmier@corteva.com
Sarah Petersheim
Bader Rutter
414-739-4616