Making the Team

Of course you know that choosing the right corn is critical for maximizing yield and profitability. But how does Stine Seed Company choose what hybrids to sell? The hybrids we offer are selected from a pool of thousands of potential new hybrids. The hybrids have been evaluated in range of environments, across multiple growing seasons, and compared against both competitor hybrids and Stine’s best current hybrids to guarantee the grower receives the best seed Stine has to offer. 

Stine Regional Sales Agronomist Brenton Schwab said the company’s Yield In The Field (YIF) plots are the final stage in hybrid evaluation prior to full commercial launch. But before a hybrid goes into YIF plots, it is first evaluated in Stine’s Elite Yield Trials. These trials are among the seed industry’s most comprehensive, replicated, multi-year evaluations. This process allows Stine researchers to determine hybrids that are widely adapted and produce high yields across a range of environments.

Following evaluation in Elite Trials, prospective new hybrids are advanced to Stine’s “Yield in the Field” plots.  These evaluations mark the final step in determining which hybrids make the Stine team. 

“Stine’s “Yield in the Field” program is a great way to see how our products are performing,” said Schwab. “They serve as an outstanding learning tool for our agronomists, district managers and sales managers. By observing these hybrids pre-release, we can be better informed on new hybrids coming forward and how they will perform in the field.  This allows us to better assist growers in choosing the best hybrids for each situation.”

In YIF plots, each hybrid is planted in replicated sets, based on maturity, across Stine’s trade area. Plot sites are chosen to represent many different soil types, moisture levels and maturity zones. Nearly all hybrids released by Stine now have at least one year of experience in the YIF program before being made available to the customer.

No matter what hybrid you choose for your spring planting, you can be confident that it’s been through several levels of intense testing and evaluation to ensure a consistently high-performing product. Contact your Regional Sales Agronomist about the best products for your farm.