After unpredictable year, farmers find predictably strong yields at harvest

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. — While 2020 has been a year of unexpected and unprecedented challenges, strong performance by NK corn and soybeans from Syngenta Seeds was one thing farmers didn’t need to worry about. Harvest results indicate that NK Seeds once again delivered winning yields on farms across the United States.

Through a combination of the latest seed technology and top-of-the-line genetics, NK hybrids and varieties are bred to meet farmers’ field-specific needs and help boost whole-farm profit potential.

Ongoing investments in R&D have enabled NK breeders to provide characteristics like broad adaptability and disease tolerance, ensuring NK growers are able to maximize their return on investment potential regardless of outside factors.

“We’ve been listening to the needs of growers to bring actionable solutions through our NK corn and soybean seed portfolios,” said Jim Shertzer, head of NK marketing. “Not only have we been doubling down on our investment into R&D, but we’ve also been diligently working toward empowering our team to support success each season. It’s clear from this year’s harvest results that our efforts have been worth it for growers.”

Corn

NK breeders have access to one of the industry’s broadest and most diverse germplasm pools, propelling the development of elite hybrids. This is translating to more bushels in the bin, with NK hybrids this year outperforming key competitors in the Corn Belt and beyond.

• In Indiana, NK1026-3330 E-Z Refuge brand outyielded Pioneer hybrids by 13 bushels per acre across 45 comparisons.

• In Nebraska, NK1523-3220 E-Z Refuge brand outyielded DeKalb hybrids by 10.9 bushels per acre in 131 comparisons.

• NK1082-3320 E-Z Refuge brand outyielded Pioneer hybrids by 7 bushels per acre in 63 comparisons throughout Iowa.

Strong agronomic packages made this year’s NK lineup more competitive than ever before, said Joe Bollman, NK corn product manager. Nearly half of the current NK portfolio consists of first- and second-year high-performing hybrids that feature the most in-demand Agrisure traits.

“High performance is to be expected when elite genetics and industry-leading traits are combined with the agronomic expertise of our NK sales team,” Bollman said. “We work directly with growers in the field to learn how our products are performing, and that feedback fuels how we innovate the latest hybrid offerings.”

Looking ahead to 2021, growers can expect to see 11 new corn hybrids available from NK. In addition, NK retailers in select locations will once again be selling Enogen corn, unique hybrids that add value for farmers who produce grain or silage for livestock feed or market grain to ethanol plants.

Soybeans

During a turbulent year for herbicides, NK offered soybean growers peace of mind by providing access to a range of trait options.

“The NK soybean portfolio offers the industry’s broadest choice of herbicide traits to manage tough-to-control weeds, including Enlist E3 soybeans, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans and LibertyLink GT27 soybeans,” said Eric Miller, NK soybeans product manager. “NK has really set the standard for soybean trait choice — empowering farmers to manage weeds with the tools that best fit their operations.”

The proof is in the results, with NK varieties continuing its record of strong performance by outyielding key competitors across the United States:

• S28-E3 brand outyielded Asgrow varieties by 4.1 bushels per acre in 420 comparisons with a 71% win rate in data from 2019 and 2020.

• S35-E3 brand also outyielded Asgrow varieties by 2.7 bushels per acre in 294 comparisons with a 57% win rate in data from 2019 and 2020.

• S20-J5X brand outyielded Pioneer varieties by 1.5 bushels per acre in 677 comparisons with a 56% win rate in data from 2019 and 2020.

“Increased limitations for herbicides have driven the demand for more trait choices to combat difficult weeds and pests,” Miller said. “With a proven legacy of performance and the most diverse portfolio of soybean varieties, it’s no surprise that farmers are choosing NK to deliver top yields season after season.”

The 2021 NK soybean portfolio enables use of all major soybean herbicides and helps deliver field-proven yields. It includes 21 new soybean varieties featuring the industry’s broadest choice of herbicide-tolerant traits, as well as an improved Enlist E3 portfolio.

For the 2022 season, NK will continue this momentum with the launch of proprietary Enlist E3 varieties and proprietary XtendFlex varieties.