Harvest can do more than wrap up the growing season, It can help farmers decide what seed belongs in the ground next year. Your observations — as you review yield monitor data and walk the fields after harvest — can provide valuable clues about which seed varieties performed well and fit best.
And experts suggest looking beyond the price tag when making seed decisions.
“One of the worst things you can do is immediately consider price before you look at the acre fit of that product,” Mark Menke, lead agronomist and corn product manager with Wilbur-Ellis, said.
A variety that performs well on one field may not be the best choice for another. Soil conditions, drainage, fertility, and disease pressure can all influence how a product performs.
“Every product has its place and has a reason for it,” Menke explained. “But if you have the wrong seed variety on the wrong acre, you’re likely to get a bad result.”
Start with harvest data
Yield monitor information, field observations, and weather conditions can help as you evaluate how different varieties handled the growing season. And rather than focusing on a single year’s results, experts suggest looking at performance over several seasons. This will provide a better picture of a variety’s consistency.
Farmers can also compare their own field results with regional variety trials to see whether a product’s performance holds up across different growing environments.
Yield isn’t the only measure of profitability
High yield potential is important, but agronomic traits can also affect a crop’s bottom line. If weather or other growing conditions become challenging, will stalk strength, disease tolerance, and stress resistance protect your harvest?
Seed quality also matters. A lower-priced product may not provide the best return if it results in a weaker stand or doesn’t match the conditions of a particular field.
Farmers should also consider how seed traits fit into an overall crop management plan, including weed control, insect management, and other crop protection strategies.
Match seed to the acre
Here are a few key questions you should consider before placing your seed order:
- How has this variety performed over multiple years?
- Does it fit the soil and drainage conditions of the field?
- How does it handle disease and weather stress?
- Does it have the agronomic traits needed for that acre?
- Are its traits compatible with the farm’s crop protection program?
- Is the expected return worth the seed investment?
The goal isn’t to find the cheapest seed or even the variety with the highest yield in one season. It’s to find the right combination of genetics, traits, and field fit for each acre.
Using your harvest results to guide your decisions can mean a better starting point for next year’s crop, and potentially help improve both yield stability and profitability.
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