The 2018 corn harvest will soon come to a close.
The weekly Crop Progress report, out from USDA-NASS, indicates 91-percent of the corn crop has been harvested in Iowa. Farmers will soon shift their attention to the 2019 growing season.
A seed company is encouraging producers to sit down and weigh all their options when it comes to seed selection. Proper seed selection can lead to minimized crop challenges and better performance.
AUDIO: Mitch Heisler, Wyffels Hybrids
The 2018 growing and harvest seasons were unique, in that they presented many challenges. Mitch Heisler, marketing manager for Wyffels Hybrids, provides an overview of the 2018 crop season.
?We?re finally starting to wrap up harvest. Unfortunately for some of our corn grower customers across Iowa, it?s been a challenging fall. It adds to an already challenging growing season. But, we can see the finish line and are looking forward to wrapping that up and looking at 2019, thinking about hybrid selection.?
Heisler says farmers need to assess past challenges, in order to select the right hybrid.
?That starts with looking back at 2018 and the past couple years. What are the challenges you faced. I think every farm is a little bit different, but the nice thing in agriculture is we can always look to improve something, whether it be disease pressure, insect pressure or stalk quality. We want to talk about those challenges because we think that both through hybrid selection and a management plan, there are ways we can address some of those challenges and be more successful in 2019,? Heisler said.
Wyffels Hybrids offers a variety of corn hybrids, ranging from 95-day to 116-day. The company is confident in successfully placing four to five hybrids on every farm.
?We have a lot of great products that we?re excited about, and some new products that corn growers got to see for the first time in 2018,? Heisler said. ?W5518 is a 109-day, SmartStax product, which is also available as a Double PRO or conventional. It?s been a great performer, great option for standability late into the year to give you some flexibility at harvest. W4196 is a 105-day, Double PRO product that has been a top performer for the last two years.?
