It’s not as easy as it used to be, when the only choice was between Roundup Ready® or conventional seed. Nowadays, seed is far more complex; soybeans are especially so.

Corn seed basically comes down to these options:

1. Conventional corn varieties, which do not provide insect protection and require well-defined herbicide selection.
2. Glyphosate resistant corn varieties, which also do not provide insect protection, but make weed control somewhat easier. Due to increased tolerance, the tougher weeds require herbicide applications well beyond glyphosate.
3. Glyphosate resistant and stacked seed varieties, which do provide insect protection above and below ground (depending upon the number of stacked traits) along with all the benefits of glyphosate. But again, increased tolerance demands more than simply glyphosate applications.

“We have every spectrum of seed corn available [to our growers], whether you are wanting to go with conventional all the way to completely stacked varieties (such as DeKalb’s Smartstax®),” said Bob Marquette, Federated agronomist at the Albertville location.

These links to Syngenta’s and DeKalb’s seed guides can offer some guidance on corn seed selection, but be sure to talk to your Federated Agronomist.

As for soybean seed, the complexity continues to grow.

Marquette noted that a number of growers are choosing to plant conventional soybeans because they are non-GMO and possibly garner a higher price on the market. In a social media-driven world, “GMO” is hotly debated, and widely misunderstood; growers choosing conventional seed face numerous weed and insect challenges.

The biggest problem with soybeans is weed control, mainly with herbicide resistance in weeds such as giant ragweed and waterhemp.

The emphasis on soybean traits will be what weeds do they control. “It’s so important now. Conventional beans have very limited options,” he said, adding that growers are getting tired of using burners and it’s only with the newer traits that other options are available.

Options include glyphosate and glufosinate tolerant soybean seed, such as the Liberty^®, Extend^®, and Enlist^® soybean systems. Enlist seed – with tolerance to 2,4-D (Enlist/Colex-D™) as well as glyphosate and glufosinate – is the newest seed providing efficient herbicide options.

Federated has ample seed supply, but the demand will be high for the newer varieties, so early ordering is essential. Enlist will be in very limited supply.

What’s right on your farm? Marquette said, “It boils down to the ‘age-old’ statement: Contact your Federated Agronomist [a.k.a. seed specialist], but don’t be surprised if you get contacted early,” he said. “We will be contacting you . . . to get the varieties you want and need.”

Follow this link to Syngenta’s soybean seed guide.