Tools Make Seed Selection More Strategic
Nov 20, 2018
Selecting the right hybrids and varieties for your fields is a task that requires more than a gut feeling to accomplish. Having data that shows what conditions and management practices can optimize that seed to its full potential is critical for a successful harvest.
The Corn Characterization Charts (CHT Tool) and Top Ten function, both part of the R7® Tool available through your local retailer, can help you choose the products that can best deliver the results you want. These tools contain information on corn, corn silage, soybeans and hard red spring wheat seed.
CHT Tool: replicated national data
Most ag industry data looks backward, telling us what happened last year. But just because a crop grew one way a year ago doesn’t mean it will grow the same way this year. WinField United data from the CHT Tool is predictive. This means we know that if a product has high responses to population and nitrogen, it will have the best year possible if it is managed appropriately for both of those criteria.
The data found in the CHT Tool is not exclusively local. Our testing method removes regional differences: A poorly drained soil is a poorly drained soil no matter where it is located. The same applies to population differences. In order to gain predictive data, we use information from across many different environments.
Ideally, you would consult the CHT Tool with your agronomist prior to purchasing seed, using the information offered to select seed that will closely fit your soil types and management styles. However, it can be used after seed purchase to help you understand what type of environment and management system those products are projected to thrive in and inform you about how to manage the products you’ve purchased.
Top Ten function: key in on local performance
The Top Ten function offers you a look at both national Answer Plot® data and insight trials data from individual farms in your area to determine what types of corn, corn silage, soybean and hard red spring wheat seed will work best on the soil types found on your farm. You have the ability to select data from within a designated radius of your operation. Top Ten data gives you access to local insights to correlate with any national data you want to use.
Work with your trusted local advisor
You can gain access to the CHT Tool and the Top Ten function through your local agronomy advisor. He or she can help you interpret and understand the data, which can then lead you to make more informed seed-selection decisions.
The bottom line
WinField United data allows us to understand where specific products will struggle and where they’ll have the best chance for success. Whether it’s about choosing a new seed product or one that has been on the market for years, WinField United technology, along with local expertise from your agronomy advisor, can help you make informed decisions based on accurate data.