Golden Valley, Minnesota
September 18, 2007
While corn rootworm pressure is
not consistent across the country, concerns of how continuous
corn will impact future crops are universal. That is why it is
key for growers to check performance in the field this summer,
to make an informed decision when choosing hybrids for next
year.
To best protect yield potential, agronomists recommend growers
choose hybrids that will perform on their ground and have traits
that make sense for their operation. In areas with chronic
insect issues, it is best to select hybrids with resistance to
European corn borer and/or corn rootworm, such as those with
Agrisure® traits. In continuous corn systems, corn rootworm
particularly contributes to yield loss by damaging the stalk and
roots, disrupting the photosynthesis process and interfering
with pollination.
| |
 |
|
Corn with
the NK corn rootworm event (right) displays
a healthier and more supple root system than
corn with a competitor’s rootworm trait. |
|
“Healthy roots are essential to
overall plant health and yield,” says Bob Navratil, NK area
agronomist manager, with
Syngenta Seeds. “A strong root system anchors the plant and
is critical for uptake of water and nutrients. And, corn growers
have access to a variety of options on the market to control
rootworm and preserve yield potential.
“For example, we’ve documented excellent results in the field
this summer with NK hybrids featuring the Agrisure RW* trait. In
addition to superb rootworm control, we have consistently seen
stronger root systems and greater rootmass. Trial data also
indicates a clear yield advantage with the trait.”
In 2006 Syngenta Integrated Trials, Agrisure RW corn seed
provided a 34 bu/A yield advantage, when compared to the
untreated check.
For growers to determine which hybrids and traits are best for
their fields next year, Navratil suggests they look at scouting
records and root samples, and ask themselves the following
questions:
- Do you have evidence of
lodging in your fields?
- Are you dissatisfied with
rootmass at this point in the season?
- Have you seen rootworm
feeding on first-year corn roots?
- Have you seen rootworm
feeding on continuous corn roots?
- Has corn rootworm
historically been a problem in your area?
- Has a soil-applied
insecticide been challenged controlling rootworm
infestations?
- Do you plan to plant
fields into continuous corn next year?
If you answer is “yes” to some of
these questions, Navratil suggests growers work with their local
NK retailer to find the best genetics and trait products. Some
growers may want to consider adding Cruiser Extreme® 1250 seed
treatment or a soil-applied insecticide, such as Force® CS or
Force 3G, for maximum protection against rootworm.
For the 2008 planting season, NK will be offering more trait and
stacked choices for insect control and weed management than ever
before, including Agrisure 3000GT. This new quad stack includes
glyphosate tolerance, European corn borer resistance, corn
rootworm resistance and LibertyLink® technology with tolerance
to LIBERTY® herbicide (glufosinate).
Plus, NK hybrids feature strong agronomic characteristics such
as stress tolerance and disease resistance to further promote
maximum performance across varied environments and management
situations, including continuous corn acres.
“Ethanol production and corn prices drove a lot of growers to
increase their corn-on-corn acres in 2007,” Navratil said. “To
successfully continue those systems in 2008, growers need to
plan ahead for possible pest pressure and make seed selection
decisions that can maximize yield and profit potential. With NK,
growers have the freedom to match superior genetics to their
specific agronomic needs and still access a variety of traits
and Syngenta Crop Protection products.”
NK is a trusted hybrid corn, soybean and alfalfa seed
supplier with more than 100 years of service in the marketplace.
Backed by the resources and research of Syngenta™, NK provides
customers top-performing genetics, trait choices and flexible
productivity solutions for maximum yield and profit, delivered
though retail-based partnerships. Located in Golden Valley,
Minn., NK is a business unit of Syngenta Seeds, Inc.
Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to
sustainable agriculture through innovative research and
technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and
ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in
2006 were approximately $8.1 billion. Syngenta employs around
21,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the
Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT). Further
information is available at
www.syngenta.com.
*In this introductory year, Agrisure RW growers participated in
a comprehensive stewardship program to ensure their grain would
remain in domestic markets. Recently, Agrisure RW received full
Japanese approval. However, Syngenta is committed to and will
continue to implement its grain stewardship program with growers
through the end of 2007. In 2008, Agrisure RW will be part of
the seed industry’s Market Choices grain direction program.
Force CS and Force 3G are Restricted Use Pesticides. Cruiser
Extreme 250 and Cruiser Extreme 1250 are seed company-applied
promotional combinations of four active ingredients that
respectively deliver .25 mg ai/seed and 1.25 mg ai/seed of
Cruiser (thiamethoxam) plus three fungicides: Apron XL®, Maxim®
XL and Dynasty®. Cruiser® insecticide is protected by several
pending patent applications and granted patents in the US and
worldwide, including US Patent Nos. 5852012 and 6844339.
Agrisure®, Apron XL®, Cruiser®, Cruiser Extreme®, Dynasty®,
Force®, Maxim®, NK®, and Backed by the resources and research of
Syngenta™ are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.
LIBERTY® and LibertyLink® are trademarks of Bayer CropScience. |
|
