by Doug Little, Soybean Seed Marketing Manager, BASF
Choosing the right soybean varieties is one of the most important decisions growers make this season because of its impact on yield and profitability. Growers face unique challenges on their farms; some are common in the soybean market and others can be very specific. Every field has a different array of weed pressure, pests and growers need solutions to protect their investment and maximize yield on their farm.
1. Consider your field
Agronomy is local. Understanding the complexities of a grower’s field is of utmost importance. Agronomists recommend growers consider all potential problems they are likely to encounter in their fields and choose varieties that offer possible solutions. Growers should ask themselves: What level of weed pressure do I experience and what are my driver weeds? What type of insect pressure do I anticipate? What diseases are common in the area? What specific soil conditions are at work? What other environmental factors need to be considered? In other words, it’s about selecting the right variety for all the challenges faced in that specific field.
2. Trust in science and testing
Besides selecting seed varieties based on the best production opportunities, evaluating the yield performance of the previous year’s crop can also provide guidance on seed variety selection for the following season. Growers should look for seed varieties that are rigorously tested in field conditions in locations similar to their own. When analyzing research, remember a variety may produce high yields in a trial but only in a disease-free environment.
Genetics is also a huge factor in selecting high-yield varieties. Xitavo™ Brand soybean seeds with Enlist E3® technology offer high-yielding genetics with powerful performance. Xitavo Brand soybean seed is owned by MS Technologies and exclusively distributed by BASF.
3. Account for the entire package
The potential for high yield and high profit doesn’t stop at seed selection. Another key part of the solutions mindset is considering other inputs to increase production on the entire acre over the season. This includes looking at the best seed treatments – particularly ones that protect against SDS and SCN – such as ILEVO® Seed Treatment. The Enlist E3 trait package gives growers flexibility to use multiple modes of action to tackle the toughest weeds and fight weed resistance. Products like Liberty® herbicide, glyphosate, and 2,4-D-choline can be used over the top of the Xitavo soybean seed giving growers the most yield potential on their acres.
Success for growers starts with a good seed. When growers consider seed varieties that meet the needs of their farm and take into account seed treatments and crop protection solutions to nurture those varieties, they are setting themselves up for success.
Find which Xitavo seed varieties best fit your needs and to learn more about getting the highest yield out of your soybean varieties, explore the Grow Smart with BASF program.
