Mycogen Seeds is unveiling a new portfolio of hybrids, bred to handle the challenges of the western Corn Belt.  Designed to help growers manage multiple variables with one solution, the new hybrids feature a strong agronomic foundation of disease and insect control, lack of available water, and extreme heat.

“Raising corn in the High Plains is not easy, and growers face more challenges than drought alone,” says Cole Hansen, U.S. corn marketing leader for Mycogen Seeds and a Nebraska native. “We have developed our stress-tolerant line-up to suit the growing conditions in the western Corn Belt, with hybrids that withstand many of the yield-reducing factors it presents.”

Mycogen Seeds’ stress-tolerant hybrids are highly rated for Goss’s wilt, high-pH soils, greensnap, and have flex ear to support a range of populations and improved pollination during heat. The hybrids are also drought tolerant. The company uses a local, targeted approach to screening for tolerance to these stresses. The portfolio has proven itself in a variety of challenging environments.

The hybrids begin with a combination of the right genetics, then moves on to testing.  Mycogen Seeds pressure-tests the seeds in a managed stress environment to evaluate their yield response.  The stress-tolerant hybrids are then classified as rugged hybrids– consistent yielders in tougher growing conditions and low-yield environment, and all-star– excellent yields in low and high yield environments.  

“Rigorous testing tells us how hybrids respond to each stress factor to more precisely place the hybrid in the field and help growers manage them,” Barker says.

“Growers only have one shot at their corn yield,” Hansen says. “Choosing stress-tolerant hybrids helps ensure they’re putting up the best defense against local stresses to maximize yield potential.”

The Mycogen Seeds Agronomy Services team helps growers manage hybrids. Growers should see their local Mycogen representative for assistance selecting, planting and managing stress-tolerant hybrids.