THE RIGHT TOOLS

It’s a brisk morning here in Nebraska in mid-February, but highs this week are supposed to reach 60 degrees.  With these warmer temperatures comes the feeling that spring planting is just around the corner.  In order to have a successful harvest in 2022, farmers need to plan now with proper hybrid selection to increase the odds of a bountiful harvest.  

Hoegemeyer has several tools available to help a producer decide which hybrid will best fit their operation.  A few questions come to mind including:

• What is my yield goal/planting population
• What is the end use of this hybrid
•  Do I have challenging soil (i.e. sand or high pH). 

Good news!  We can help with any or all of these questions.

            Planting population is an important part of hybrid selection.  At Hoegemeyer we have been conducting extensive research on hybrid response to various planting populations.  Some hybrids will excel at low planting populations, while others will need high planting populations to maximize yield.  Hoegemeyer has been publishing a population recommendation sheet that  bases plant populations on yield goal.  Based on the hybrids you plant you can use this guide to advise you on how many seeds need to be planted per acre to maximize yield.

            Another important part of hybrid selection should be based on what is the end use of the product being planted.  At Hoegemeyer we have data that will showcase which hybrids work best for either beef or dairy silage.  We have several good options across a range of maturities that will work for both grain as well as silage.

            Finally, for producers in the Western Corn Belt we have products that work on those challenging acres.  Whether you are farming sandy soils with less than 1% organic matter or soils with high pH issues, we can help you decide what products will not just survive, but produce above trend line yields on those acres.  After ramping up our high pH and sand testing program in 2014 we have been gathering replicated trial test results that can help you make more informed decisions about what hybrid to select for these challenging environments.

 Over the past few years, we have found Hoegemeyer Brand 7088 AM family, 7921 Q family, 8188 Q Family, and 8707 AM family products have been out yielding the competition on these challenging acres.  To see a list of other products that have performed well in these environments check out our High pH and Sand Management flyers.   

            This information can be found on the Hoegemeyer website www.therightseed.com.  You can also get any of this information from your local Hoegemeyer dealer, DSM or Agronomist.