How Brevant® brand Enlist E3® soybeans are helping growers improve yield potential with strong genetics.
Before sunrise, Charles McCurdy’s phone is already buzzing. Like many in agriculture, his day starts early answering texts and phone calls before heading to the office or out to a field.
“I make as many stops as I can in the morning and help out, whether that’s making recommendations for customers or delivering seed,” said McCurdy, a crop consultant with Nutrien. “I try to be as much of a team player as I can.”
The questions he fields from customers are wide-ranging: What’s the weather going to do? Why do my neighbors’ fields look the way they do? And a more frequent topic lately: How can I give my fields a fighting chance against soybean cyst nematode (SCN)?
As the most yield-limiting soybean pest in the United States, SCN continues to challenge farmers across the region. For decades, farmers have relied on PI 88788 trait as a resistance tool. However, with extensive use, it has become less effective in some areas as nematode populations have adapted. Rotating an alternative source to manage resistance, such as the Peking trait, is helping farmers address those population shifts and better protect yield potential.
“We have a lot of fields around here that are plagued pretty hard with nematodes, and the Peking trait is an extra added defense,” McCurdy said. “Brevant seeds have soybean vartieties with a Peking trait that we really like. We can put seed treatments on it, but it helps to start with a seed that just naturally gives us a fighting chance upfront.”
Peking varieties have gained traction in McCurdy’s region faster than he anticipated.
“We’re seeing that we can get 2 to 4 more bushels with just that trait alone,” McCurdy said. “Their beans go in the ground well, they come up well and they seem to harvest well. That’s the key to why we like winning with Brevant seeds. They seem to have something for every one of our needs.”
Getting the crop planted and off to a strong start is only the beginning. Corn and soybeans both benefit from early season management that helps protect yield potential from Day 1.
“Brevant seeds give you the winning edge,” McCurdy said. “They kick-start you with the right seed for the right acre, and with their genetics, we can fill bushels in the bin at the end of the season.”
As the season progresses, McCurdy’s attention shifts to helping farmers maximize crop health and keep soybean plants thriving long into the season with fungicides and foliar feeds.
“In this area, we have to fight to keep that bean in its perfect condition usually until a Missouri State Fair rain, that mid-August rain. That’s the make-or-break point for us,” McCurdy said.
Weed control is another critical piece of the equation. Weeds can quickly rob soybeans of moisture, particularly during Missouri’s frequent dry years. For McCurdy’s customers, Enlist E3® soybeans have become an important tool for keeping fields clean through the season.
“We have growers around here who we’ve kept clean for years, and their farms just don’t get as weedy anymore,” McCurdy said. “And it’s been a lot because of the Enlist E3 soybean lineup we’ve been able to keep that field clean for the whole season versus just trying to rescue it once in a while.”
As farmers continue to see results, McCurdy says, conversations about Brevant® seeds are changing.
“Brevant seeds is starting to earn their spot on every farm. Growers are starting to ask for it now,” McCurdy said.
“Before, they had asked about other lineups, and then we would tell them about Brevant. Now it’s, ‘Well, does Brevant have a new soybean or does Brevant have a new corn?’ and it’s starting to get in the front of their mind too.”
For more videos and stories of how farmers and retailers are helping each other score wins across the Corn Belt, visit Brevant.com/WinBigger.
™ ® Trademarks of Brevant seeds and its affiliated companies. The transgenic soybean event in Enlist E3® soybeans is jointly developed and owned by Corteva Agriscience and M.S. Technologies L.L.C. Enlist One® and Enlist Duo® are not labeled for use in all 50 states. To find product labels, state registration status, and additional resources about the Enlist® weed control system and its availability, visit Enlist.com. Additional stewardship information on Enlist crops and to review seed product use guide details, visit traitstewardship.com. ©2026 Brevant seeds.
