Producers Blog
Prescribing Hybrids
John Dolan (DSM, Region 6 – Southern)
Throughout this past sales season I have been constantly asked if we will experience a drought next year like the 2012 growing season. My reply has most often been that there are two things in life that you cannot out guess; the Chicago Board of Trade and Mother Nature. With this in mind, I refuse to attempt to make any sort of prediction on the weather of next year’s growing season. What I can do is look at each customer’s farm and try to better prescribe hybrids on a per field basis.
Through this process we can determine which acres need a defensive hybrid and which acres can utilize a more offensive hybrid. The days of selling customers one or two hybrids may be a thing of the past. We are now breeding hybrids that react to certain field conditions better than others. For example in North Central Missouri, Producers Hybrids 7013 VT2Pro has worked exceptionally well when planted on marginal fields and has pollinated under intense heat. Producers Hybrids 7413 VT2Pro seems to function better in higher yield potential soil types. This continues for every hybrid that is sold by use. Each hybrid has its own environment that it will excel in.
The biggest challenge is to ask the customer enough questions regarding the farm’s operation to make the best hybrid prescription possible. I tend to usually mention that this process may take several growing seasons to perfect. The days of selling hybrids may be changing to prescribing hybrids. As script technology becomes more fully utilized on the farm level, the requirements of the selling agent also need to change.
If you are looking for high quality, high performing seeds, look no further than Producers Hybrids. Myself or another Producers District Sales Manager would be glad to help you figure out which hybrids would work best on your farm.
