Syngenta says corn hybrids substantially boost crop yields

Syngenta said on Wednesday that growers using the company’s hybrids have boosted corn production significantly over users of competitive products.

Syngenta’s NK Corn hybrids helped growers average a 2.4 bushels-per-acre performance advantage against DeKalb and Pioneer1 hybrids, based on 14,910 comparisons in 2014.

“Our top-end genetics have provided growers with consistent yields the past few years, and the favorable environmental conditions in 2014 also allowed NK Corn hybrids to deliver strong yields,” Joe Bollman, NK Corn genetics product lead at Syngenta, said. “The broad portfolio of NK Corn hybrids provide strong seed choices for every grower.”

Syngenta has 52 new corn hybrids available to growers. They use new genetics across a broad range of maturities and feature key agronomic characteristics such as standability, and disease and drought tolerance.

Corn growers should consider yield, environmental stressors and relative maturity when picking hybrids, the University of Minnesota Extension said. Growers planting corn in dry areas or areas plagued by pests should select hybrids that tolerate or resist these problems. By also planting corn that matures at different times, farmers can attempt to minimize the damage done by pests.