Golden Harvest adds two experienced members to its industry-leading agronomy team to support Nebraska farmers in creating long-term crop management plans
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., USA, July 6, 2022 — As Nebraska farmers brace for high corn rootworm (CRW) pressure following a major resurgence in the Corn Belt in 2021, Golden Harvest is releasing new Agronomy in Action trial data showing that Duracade™ traited hybrids paired with a soil-applied Force® brand insecticide provide excellent CRW control and yield benefits.
Nebraska reported particularly high western CRW populations in 2021 as part of a study conducted by the Regional Corn Rootworm Monitoring Network — an indication there will be high pressure again this summer. To help farmers prepare for the threat, Golden Harvest is sharing new Agronomy in Action trial data and adding two new experienced members to its leading agronomy team — Jamie Kathol in eastern Nebraska and Luke Curl in the western part of the state — to help farmers evaluate available CRW management tools and create long-term management plans.
CRW is a highly adaptable pest, requiring a tailored, multiyear plan that rotates diverse management practices. Corn rootworm is often called the “billion dollar pest” as it can create huge problems for farmers throughout its life cycle. Larvae feeding on roots can lead to reduced yield potential, root lodging, reduced stalk strength, among other concerns. Adult beetles can clip silks, reduce pollination, and then lay eggs that create and worsen problems the following season.
Golden Harvest trials show strong performance against CRW, as well as yield benefits. Source: Syngenta.Force + Duracade hybrids offer yield benefits
In fields where there is low to moderate CRW pressure, new Golden Harvest trial data indicates farmers should use either Force brand insecticides or Duracade hybrids — such as Golden Harvest corn hybrids G11V76-D or G10L16-DV — to effectively control CRW. In fields with higher CRW pressure, farmers should consider using a Force brand insecticide with Duracade hybrids. The trials showed this approach offers farmers potential yield benefits of as much as 41 bushels per acre (bu/A) over untreated, non-traited options.
Hybrids with the Duracade trait paired with a Force brand soil-applied insecticide offer yield advantages to farmers versus single or no control measures. Source: Syngenta. “DuracadeViptera is one of the top hybrid options available to farmers today because it uses a unique mode of action, so it’s offering something new and different to fight CRW,” says Kathol, Golden Harvest agronomist. “It also provides best-in-class protection against above-ground pests for peace of mind throughout the season. When paired with Force, this is a no-brainer for farmers seeing high CRW pressure.”
Consider seed treatments for additional benefits
Higher 1250 rates of CruiserMaxx® seed treatment can also offer additional protection against early season CRW larvae, according to the trial. Golden Harvest trials found on average almost 0.25 of node rating improvement from increased rates compared with lower seed-applied insecticide rates. Larger root score improvements ranging from 0.38 to 0.41 were observed in trials with greater rootworm pressure.
Hybrids with higher rates of CruiserMaxx seed treatment offer increased root node protection. Source: Syngenta.Many Duracade hybrids are now available with rates of CruiserMaxx Corn 1250 seed treatment, a combination of separately registered products.
Build a long-term CRW management plan
While each field is different, Kathol and Curl agree there are easy steps that every farmer can take to begin building a CRW management plan, beginning with assessing the threat in their fields. Curl recommends using sticky traps — a common, low-cost way to quantify adult beetle pressure in the later part of the summer. The number of beetles trapped is a strong indicator of the likely amount of pressure farmers will see the following year.
“Having that type of data is absolutely critical so you know what to expect next year,” says Curl, Golden Harvest agronomist. “It helps us adjust CRW management plans proactively, based on what we’re actually seeing in the field.”
Get in touch with Golden Harvest agronomists
The best long-term plans to manage CRW are flexible and require fine tuning, Kathol and Curl say. The newest members of the Golden Harvest agronomy team are eager to dig in with customers in Nebraska and offer their expertise to support farmers.
“Luke and Jamie are outstanding additions to our team of agronomic experts here at Golden Harvest,” says Andy Heggenstaller, head of agronomy for Syngenta Seeds. “We are thrilled to welcome them to the team and ensure top quality support for our farmers in Nebraska as they deal with corn rootworm and other threats.”
To get in touch with Golden Harvest agronomists to discuss CRW pressure in your fields and begin building a management strategy, contact your Golden Harvest Seed Advisor today.
For more tips and strategies, Golden Harvest offers a library of agronomy articles with actionable data and local insights to help precisely place products for maximized performance in farmers’ fields. The Agronomy in Action 2022 Research Review provides a comprehensive review of applied and practical agronomic studies conducted during the 2021 growing season at Golden Harvest Agronomy in Action research sites.
To find better solutions for your corn and soybean acres, contact a Golden Harvest Seed Advisor at GoldenHarvestSeeds.com.
About Golden Harvest
Golden Harvest Seeds has been working with and listening to farmers with intention since 1973, offering in-depth seeds expertise combined with the local agronomic know-how of an independent Golden Harvest Seed Advisor to help identify custom solutions for every corn and soybean acre. Today, each Golden Harvest® hybrid or variety is bred with the individual needs of hardworking farmers in mind. Golden Harvest corn hybrids feature elite genetics with proven performance and the most complete above- and below-ground insect control solutions with Duracade and Viptera trait stacks. Golden Harvest soybean varieties include the industry’s broadest trait choice and exclusive genetics, which set a new standard for performance and yield potential.
Follow us on X at www.twitter.com/GldnHarvest, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/goldenharvestseeds/ and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GldnHarvest.
The content of this release is for information purposes only. This release is not, and should not be construed as, an offer to sell or issue or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or other property interests.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This document may contain forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as ‘expect’, ‘would’, ‘will’, ‘potential’, ‘plans’, ‘prospects’, ‘estimated’, ‘aiming’, ‘on track’ and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. For Syngenta, such risks and uncertainties include risks relating to legal proceedings, regulatory approvals, new product development, increasing competition, customer credit risk, general economic and market conditions, compliance and remediation, intellectual property rights, implementation of organizational changes, impairment of intangible assets, consumer perceptions of genetically modified crops and organisms or crop protection chemicals, climatic variations, fluctuations in exchange rates and/or commodity prices, single source supply arrangements, political uncertainty, natural disasters, and breaches of data security or other disruptions of information technology. Syngenta assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors.
© 2022 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label and bag tag instructions; only those labeled as tolerant to glufosinate may be sprayed with glufosinate ammonium-based herbicides. Some products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties. Please check with your local extension service to ensure registration status. Force, Force Evo, Force CS, Force 3G, and Force 6.5G are Restricted Use Pesticides. CruiserMaxx Corn 1250 is an on-seed application of Cruiser 5FS insecticide delivered at the 1.25 mg a.i./seed rate and Maxim Quattro fungicide. LibertyLink®, Liberty® and the Water Droplet logo are registered trademarks of BASF. HERCULEX® and the HERCULEX Shield are trademarks of Corteva Agriscience LLC. HERCULEX Insect Protection technology by Corteva Agriscience LLC. Under federal and local laws, only dicamba-containing herbicides registered for use on dicamba-tolerant varieties may be applied. See product labels for details and tank mix partners. Golden Harvest® and NK® soybean varieties are protected under granted or pending U.S. variety patents and other intellectual property rights, regardless of the trait(s) within the seed. The Enlist E3® soybean, LibertyLink®, LibertyLink® GT27®, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend®, Roundup Ready 2 Yield® and XtendFlex® soybean traits may be protected under numerous United States patents. It is unlawful to save soybeans containing these traits for planting or transfer to others for use as a planting seed. Only dicamba formulations that employ VaporGrip® Technology are approved for use with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® and XtendFlex® soybeans. Only 2,4-D choline formulations with Colex-D® Technology are approved for use with Enlist E3® soybeans. The trademarks or service marks displayed or otherwise used herein are the property of a Syngenta Group Company. ENLIST E3® soybean technology is jointly developed with Corteva Agriscience LLC and M.S. Technologies, L.L.C. The ENLIST trait and ENLIST Weed Control System are technologies owned and developed by Corteva Agriscience LLC. ENLIST® and ENLIST E3® are trademarks of Corteva Agriscience LLC. GT27® is a trademark of M.S. Technologies, L.L.C. and BASF. Roundup Ready 2 Xtend®, Roundup Ready 2 Yield®, XtendFlex® and YieldGard VT Pro® are registered trademarks used under license from the Bayer Group. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.