4 questions to ask when choosing corn seed technology

Seed selection is the most important decision growers make every year, says Eric Scherder, U.S. agronomy leader – herbicides and nitrogen stabilizers.

“Your seed choice determines your genetics, and the genetics will determine your yield potential,” he said. “The insect control and herbicide tolerances found in each trait technology are what’s going to protect your corn yield.” 

If you’re still not sure which seed to plant next year, ask yourself the following questions.

1. How important is flexibility in your weed control program? If the next growing season is anything like this year, it’s important to be prepared for weather-related delays. The good news is the Enlist^® weed control system gives you the flexibility you need for weed control.
   
   When you plant any corn hybrid with the Enlist^® trait, you can design a custom program approach to tackle weeds and apply Enlist One^® herbicide on up to 30-inch-tall Enlist corn or through the V8 growth stage, whichever comes first, or on up to 48-inch-tall corn when applied with a drop nozzle.
   
   “Imagine if your corn preemergence herbicide doesn’t adequately control waterhemp and you need to control it postemergence,” Scherder explained. “Enlist One^® herbicide allows you a postemergence herbicide option to get those escapes.”
2. Which pests do you need to protect against? “Growers should be looking for agronomic solutions that fit their farm management style and protect against key weeds, insects and diseases,” Scherder said.
   
   Ask yourself: Which weeds were still present this year? This can help inform what did and didn’t work with your weed management program as you start putting together plans for the upcoming season. Planting seed with a flexible herbicide trait system, such as the Enlist^® system, will give you plenty of options to develop a herbicide program approach fit for your acres.
   
   “Enlist corn offers tolerance to four herbicide groups, including glyphosate, glufosinate, FOP chemistry and, of course, 2,4-D choline which is only found in Enlist One herbicide,” Scherder said.
   
   Farmers looking for additional cutting-edge insect control have enhanced options with Enlist corn. As part of the elite Corteva Agriscience corn hybrid package, Enlist^® corn offers proven genetics, Bt traits and herbicide tolerances that can deliver solutions to fit every acre.
3. Which herbicides are you hoping to use next year? “In soybeans, an increasing number of growers are choosing Enlist One herbicide to control tough weeds like Palmer amaranth and waterhemp,” Scherder said. “But in corn, we already have fantastic preemergence herbicides, such as Resicore REV and other broad-spectrum herbicides that have residual activity. With these broad-spectrum corn programs, Enlist One herbicide can be more targeted and used in postemergence scenarios where a key broadleaf weed like waterhemp gets through.”
4. What are your neighbors planting? When selecting seed for next spring, it’s important to consider which herbicide trait technologies you want to use and where you want to place those technologies. Knowing the surroundings can help you make better use of these technologies.
   
   Farmers who consider field placement when purchasing seed can help ensure they’ll be able to use the technologies they employ more successfully.
   
   “Hopefully your neighbors are already planting Enlist corn or Enlist E3 soybeans and using Enlist One herbicide, which is proven to land and stay on target,” Scherder said. “That makes the decision easier.”

No matter which trait system you select, it’s important to protect your seed decision for maximum return on investment. 

“Keep your Corteva Agriscience representatives on speed dial,” Scherder said. “These trusted partners can help you make timely decisions and keep you on the road to profitability.”

Resicore^® REV is not registered for sale or use in all states. Resicore REV is not available for sale, distribution or use in Nassau and Suffolk counties in the state of New York. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. The transgenic soybean event in Enlist E3^® soybeans is jointly developed and owned by Corteva Agriscience and M.S. Technologies L.L.C. Resicore® REV is not registered for sale or use in all states. Resicore REV is not available for sale, distribution or use in Nassau and Suffolk counties in the state of New York. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. The transgenic soybean event in Enlist E3® soybeans is jointly developed and owned by Corteva Agriscience and M.S. Technologies L.L.C. Enlist Duo® and Enlist One® herbicides with Colex-D® technology are the only herbicides containing 2,4-D that are authorized for preemergence and postemergence use with Enlist® crops. Enlist Duo and Enlist One herbicides are not registered for use or sale in all states and counties; are not registered in AK, CA, CT, HI, ID, MA, ME, MT, NH, NV, OR, RI, UT, VT, WA and WY. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency if you have questions about the registration status of Enlist® herbicides in your area. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. ONLY USE FORMULATIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELED FOR SUCH USE IN THE STATE AND COUNTY OF APPLICATION. USE OF PESTICIDE PRODUCTS, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, 2,4-D-CONTAINING PRODUCTS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR USE WITH ENLIST CROPS, MAY RESULT IN OFF-TARGET DAMAGE TO SENSITIVE CROPS/AREAS AND/OR SUSCEPTIBLE PLANTS. Additional product-specific stewardship requirements for Enlist crops, including the Enlist Product Use Guide, can be found at www.traitstewardship.com. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW TO USE ANY PESTICIDE PRODUCT OTHER THAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS LABELING. ONLY USE FORMULATIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELED FOR SUCH USE IN THE STATE OF APPLICATION. USE OF PESTICIDE PRODUCTS, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, 2,4-D-CONTAINING PRODUCTS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR USE WITH ENLIST CROPS, MAY RESULT IN OFF-TARGET DAMAGE TO SENSITIVE CROPS/AREAS AND/OR SUSCEPTIBLE PLANTS, IN ADDITION TO CIVIL AND/OR CRIMINAL PENALTIES. Additional product-specific stewardship requirements for Enlist crops, including the Enlist^® Product Use Guide, can be found at www.traitstewardship.com. Always read and follow label directions.