As growers look back on the challenges of 2025, many are already asking what they can do to be better prepared for 2026. Weather shifts, late-season disease surprises, and rapid swings in crop conditions proved once again that no two years behave the same. Brad Gibson of Channel Seeds says the key to next season is to accept how fast the industry is changing and to lean into the genetic and agronomic tools that are already reshaping modern crop management.
Gibson says one of the clearest examples came from the southern rust outbreak that swept across the Midwest in August. While most growers had never seen it reach that far north, some Channel products held up better because breeders had identified southern rust as a trait to focus on years earlier. That decision, made long before the 2025 season began, turned out to be one of the biggest advantages in local on-farm trials.
That success points to a larger trend. Gibson says the speed at which new discoveries move from the research bench into commercial seed products has improved dramatically. What once took many years can now be accomplished in a much tighter window, allowing companies to respond faster to new agronomic threats. He says growers need to recognize that technology is evolving quickly on every front, from genetics to equipment to crop management tools.
To match that speed, Channel is expanding its support for growers. For 2026, the company added a new Channel sales agronomist role. This builds a coordinated team around every customer. That team includes a field service rep, a Channel sales agronomist, a technical agronomist, and the local Channel seed pro who understands each field and operation. Gibson says that level of shared knowledge is essential as growers try to protect margins and maximize production.
And even though southern rust and tar spot may not behave the same way in 2026, Gibson says growers should expect new challenges to emerge. Nothing repeats itself in consecutive seasons, and that means every field will require a plan that is flexible and aggressive. That includes product selection, variable rate planting, variable rate fertilizer, and early planning for fungicide strategies.
Gibson says the growers who succeed next year will be the ones who take advantage of the technology at their fingertips and the support team standing behind them. In a year when every bushel matters, he says the combination of advanced genetics and strong agronomic guidance will be the driving force for staying ahead in 2026.
