Seed Trials ’08: Monsanto Co.
December 1, 2008 Seed companies are beginning to retrieve their 2008 yield trial data, providing critical information for your dealership to analyze before selling seed to your grower-customers. This week, Monsanto checks in with its early data results.
While the U.S. harvest season is tracking slightly behind the national historic average, preliminary yield results reveal that corn seed products offered by Monsanto’s DEKALB and American Seeds Inc. (ASI) brands are delivering opportunities for greater productivity and profitability to growers than leading competitive products. The data shows the company’s hybrids have nearly a 10-bushel yield advantage.
"A farmer’s investment in our business demands that we discover and deliver higher-yielding products, which create a strong economic return to their farm and their bottom line," said Robert T. Fraley, Ph.D., executive vice president and chief technology officer at Monsanto. "New data collected from the 2008 season underscores that our corn seed brands are doing just that."
Monsanto recently completed a preliminary review of its yield trials conducted throughout the Corn Belt. This year’s data set, which is generated by third parties as well as the company, highlight that:
- Farmers planting DEKALB corn seed products realize greater profitability, productivity per acre: Research generated at more than 12,800 head-to-head comparisons validate that growers who use DEKALB corn seed and trait products are seeing higher yields and better harvest moisture. The 2008 data underscores that growers who use DEKALB corn seed realized $25 to $65 in additional value per acre when compared with the leading national competitive seed offerings.
- DEKALB and ASI corn seed products deliver more yield to the farm. Data collected from more than 12,800 research comparisons demonstrate that nationally, the five leading DEKALB corn seed products outyielded national competitive corn seed products by 9.8 bushels per acre. Monsanto’s DEKALB brand also outyielded Pioneer’s competitive corn seed products by 8.8 bushels per acre in data collected from 9,870 head-to-head comparisons throughout the Corn Belt.
- Preliminary data collected from 418 locations throughout the Corn Belt demonstrate that the five leading ASI corn seed products are delivering more than 7 bushels per acre than leading national competitors. ASI’s yield advantage was most striking in the 110- and 115-day relative maturity (RM) zones. The ASI products delivered a yield advantage of more than 11 bushels per acre in the 110-day RM zone and 10 bushels per acre in the 115-day RM zone.
Earlier this year, Monsanto announced an ambitious three-point commitment aimed at producing more on each acre of farmland, conserving more natural resources and improving the lives of the farmers the company serves. As part of this effort, the company announced its intent to double the crop yields of corn, soybeans, and cotton by 2030 compared to a base year of 2000 in countries where it is able to offer its technology to growers. The compilation of data collected from the 2008 season underscores the yield advantage that Monsanto’s products are already providing to U.S. corn and soybean growers.
(Source: Monsanto Co.)
Subscribe Today For
