Getting the Most Out of Yield Potential: Managing Hormonal Balance in Crops
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Growers have made substantial progress over the years in their collective quest to increase profitability on every acre they farm. In 2023, a Virginia grower set the world record for corn yield with 623.84 bushels per acre. In 2024, a Georgia grower set the world mark for soybeans with 218.28 bushels per acre. These records demonstrate that, under ideal conditions, crops can yield far above usual expectations.
Understanding yield potential
Full yield potential is achieved by a combination of many variables, including plant genetics and cultivar variety; proper light, temperature and carbon dioxide levels; soil type; adequate water supply; and correct nutrition. Full yield potential can be limited by several factors, including nutrient deficiency and insect, disease and weed problems. Weather-related (abiotic) stress can also significantly reduce yield potential.
Growers have many solutions to combat fertility issues and various pest problems. But solutions focused on managing stress are still a fairly new concept. When weather stress is a factor, a plant’s hormonal balance is at risk. The plant diverts energy from growth and development to stress response mechanisms. Because of this, weather-related or abiotic stress can have a big impact on yield.
The role of plant hormones
In ideal circumstances, hormones are naturally occurring in plants and control every physiological plant process. The five major hormones in plants are:
- Gibberellic acid – critical for optimal germination and fruit sizing.
- Cytokinin – vital for cell division, lateral branching and reproductive growth.
- Auxin – important for root, flower and fruit development.
- Ethylene – promotes ripening.
- Abscisic acid – vital for seed dormancy and promotes ripening.
Hormonal imbalance and stress
When hormone balance gets out of sync in crops because of weather-related stress, the crops must use energy to deal with the imbalance. Corteva Biologicals solutions can help crops manage those stressful periods to realize more yield potential at the end of the season. The primary goal is to maximize the yield potential and prevent avoidable losses caused by stress.
Crops have “optimal zones” related to weather, and anything that takes them out of those optimal zones can negatively affect growth and yield potential. Building a vigorous root system is crucial to help crops persevere throughout the season. With more roots, plants can take up more water and nutrients. Roots also play an important role in hormone production, along with other plant tissues. In plants, four out of the five major hormones are made in the roots. It’s vital to keep the roots healthy and growing throughout the season because the root tips are critical in fulfilling the genetic potential of the seed.
Managing hormonal balance
Corteva Biologicals solutions help crops persevere through weather-related stress and manage hormonal balance because they can contribute to:
1. Stabilizing hormonal activity: Weather-related stress — like heat, drought or cold — can disrupt the natural balance of plant hormones such as cytokinin, auxin and abscisic acid. Our solutions can help restore or supplement these hormones, supporting the plant in maintaining normal growth and development instead of diverting energy to stress responses.
2. Enhancing root health: Many of the products in the Corteva Biologicals portfolio help promote root growth and activity, which is critical because roots are the primary site of hormone production. Healthy roots mean better nutrient and water uptake, and more consistent hormone signaling throughout the plant.
3. Improving nutrient efficiency: Corteva Biologicals offers solutions containing nutrients that are essential for hormone synthesis and function. These can help the plant regulate hormonal activity more effectively, especially under stress.
4. Reducing energy drain: When plants are stressed, they use energy to survive rather than grow. We offer solutions that can help minimize the energy cost of stress responses, allowing more energy to go toward yield-building processes like flowering, fruiting and seed development.
5. Supporting reproductive success: During critical stages like flowering and fruit set, stress can cause hormone imbalances that lead to flower or pod abortion. Corteva Biologicals solutions can help maintain hormone levels like cytokinin, which supports cell division and reproductive development, improving yield quality and quantity.
6. Extending benefits into post-harvest: Corteva Biologicals solutions can also help crops balance hormones in post-harvest applications. These solutions are designed to help increase a plant’s winter survivability and crown health, while also invigorating new spring growth. This early season boost may contribute to increased yields on the first cutting.
Season challenges
A crop’s highest yield potential occurs when the seed is still in the bag. Once the seed is planted, yield loss events begin to occur, which translates to lower harvest results for growers. Weather-related stress plays a key role in yield loss, but it is difficult to predict weather patterns. Erratic weather has been a significant challenge. Cold, wet conditions at the beginning of the growing season hamper crop germination and prohibit plants from making a fast, even emergence. The conditions within the first 24 hours after planting can be the most critical indicator of how successful that crop is going to be throughout the season. Hot, dry weather can also reduce yield as the plant shifts into survival mode.
It’s vital to ensure plant health continues during the vegetative stage with the growth of large stalks and stems. This stage is where growers want crops to grow bigger leaves, which provide energy for increased productivity leading up to the reproductive stage.
The reproductive stage in crops is where a substantial amount of yield potential can be lost, mainly due to heat stress. This can cause tip back and kernel loss in corn, and flower and pod loss in crops like soybeans and dry beans. Heat stress causes a drop in cytokinin levels and reduces its movement from the roots due to moisture loss. Supplementing cytokinin externally becomes critical.
Helping every crop
Corteva Biologicals solutions are designed to work across a wide range of crops. Every crop has its unique challenges, and we provide targeted solutions that integrate seamlessly with other applications growers are already making across their fields. These solutions are flexible, making them easy to incorporate into existing crop management programs.
Balancing hormones and nutrition can help growers of both annual and perennial crops avoid common challenges that threaten plant health and yield.
- In annual crops, these challenges may include lack of branching, longer internode spacing, inadequate tillering, lower brix, tip back and kernel abortion and flower and pod loss.
- In perennial crops, issues such as inadequate fruit fill, smaller fruit, lower weight and yield, lower brix, erratic fruit sizing and poor root development are common.
While the symptoms may differ, many of these challenges stem from imbalances in plant hormone levels. By using Corteva Biologicals solutions, growers can help address these issues, enabling crops to come closer to full yield potential and quality targets — with the goal of delivering a greater return on investment at the end of the season.
Learn more about how Corteva Biologicals can help in managing hormones to support thriving crops all season. Reach out to our team or explore your country page to search specific solutions.
Many factors contribute to crop performance and return on investment. Products are intended to complement sound agronomic practices. Results may vary.