Published: December 05, 2007 09:18 am            

Trait technology making a difference in yields

Originally published in the November 30, 2007, print edition.

Mike and Geno Butler tend to be particular about the genetics of their crops each year.

Growing 3,300 acres of corn and soybeans will do that.

An Oct. 30 harvest check had Geno saying, “it’s turning out to be a surprisingly good year. We’re seeing these trait technology hybrids really doing the job, despite the seasonal stresses of heat, drought, then rains and winds. All our hybrids choices did good, one 98-day hybrid was great — very little trash, stands well, easy to combine, good test weight and the yield was very good.”

But, just how good? “That particular field averaged 215 bushels per acre and that was a good sized field, 80 plus acres,” Geno said. Gold Country 9810 was the hybrid.

Test weights ran from 58 pounds to 62 pounds for Geno and his dad, Mike, surprisingly good considering the late July-August hot, dry weather. They plant heavy, Geno said about 80 percent of the 2007 corn crop was planted at 35,000 plants per acre, and the remaining 20 percent on less fertile soils was planted at 33,000.

The Butlers, from Winnebago, also plant early; everything in the ground by May 1 this year.

“Yields are running much better than we expected considering how dry a growing season. We’ll be pretty much the VT3 package on most of our hybrids again next year. These special traits just provide a level of protection that I don’t believe you can afford to ignore,” Geno said. Even refuge corn acres were doing in the 190s this year. For refuge corn they use Cruiser 250 seed treatment with a Roundup Ready hybrid.

The VT3 package pushes seed costs over $200 per unit, but it also provides protection against the European corn borer, corn rootworm problems, and the RR weed control advantage. With total corn production costs pushing $400 per acre, more and more producers are opting for the “insurance value” of these special trait genetics.

The Butlers’ seed package includes both Gold Country and NC+ hybrids. Both seed companies also fill their soybean lineup. “Both companies have excellent products. We know the sales reps for both companies so sharing our seed purchases seems fair at this stage,” Geno said.

Soybean yields this fall were in the 50 to 55 bushels per acre range. Because of the continuous introduction of new soybean varieties each year, they’re not gun shy about trying new varieties, even the new Vistive soybean.

The Vistive bean is called the “heart healthy” bean because of its low linolenic acid rating, generally less than 3 percent compared with 8 percent found in conventional soybeans. Vistive beans produce a stable oil that requires less need for hydrogenation, a process that gives soybean oil longer shelf life but raises levels of trans fats. Trans fats raise LDL cholesterol levels that increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

“We had 140 acres of the Vistive bean this year and plan on 280 acres next year. We saw some yield drag, maybe a couple bushels, but they talk virtually no yield drag with the newer varieties. That 60-cent premium makes it a worthwhile crop,” Geno said. Gold Country Seed has a new 2.4 maturity Vistive bean called 8722NVRR that will be in the Butler crop program for 2008.

Anhydrous is the fall fertilizer treatment for the Butlers. They’ll get some relief from high fertilizer prices because next spring they’ll be pumping hog manure from a new 2,400 pig finishing barn (41 feet by 400 feet) built this past spring.

They run a 24-row planter, eight-row corn head and 12-row bean head. Grain carts speed harvest up to about 10 acres per hour. Their corn head is equipped with stalk choppers (the Italian-made Drago), so field chopping is now history. Corn ground gets DMI’d; soybean stubble is left untouched until spring.

Seed gets ordered early. By Oct. 30, they pretty much had all their 2008 seed booked.

With strong corn and soybean outlooks into 2008, will the Butlers plow up Conservation Reserve Program land? They do have about 60 acres CRP but Geno said it would stay CRP because it’s ground that just doesn’t work for row crops.

        

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