Choosing a corn seed treatment

Hybrid genetics play a factor in the decision, an industry rep said

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Some farmers in Ontario haven’t finished their 2021 corn harvests yet but that doesn’t mean planning for 2022 stops.

Farmers looking to plan for next year’s crop are likely to choose their hybrids first before considering potential seed treatment packages, said Rob Miller, the technical development manager with BASF Canada stationed at the London, Ont. research farm.

“Even just differences in genetics can be anywhere from a zero to 10 per cent difference in yield,” he told Farms.com. “Whether it’s an insect package, a disease package or more uniform emergence, hybrid selection is the first step and then you add the seed treatment packages on after that.”

Farmers have multiple options when deciding between possible seed treatments.

Between agronomists, crop advisors and seed company representatives, producers will be able to invest in the best inputs for their operations based on what’s going on in a specific field.

“Each seed company has their own individual packages, and some seed treatments have four or five different active ingredients built into them,” Miller said. “Many packages are the same or comparable, therefore are fairly broad spectrum and can help control a wide variety of diseases and pests.”

In terms of the 2021 season from a corn seed treatment perspective, determining which ones paid dividends for producers is still too early because harvest is ongoing.

But in 2020, Miller noticed a trend towards a BASF product called Stamina, which protects against rhizoctonia.

“As people were planting into colder soils and wet conditions, which is more prone to seedborne diseases, that’s where we saw farmers invest in Stamina,” he said.