ASK THE AGRONOMIST BLOG

The 2021 Farm Progress Show is set to kick off next Tuesday, August 31, in Decatur, Illinois. Stine is excited to visit with guests in person to discuss all we have to offer for 2022. We’re also showcasing some new products and technologies. Here’s a list of everything to check out at our booth (1152).

1. Our 2022 Stine Seed Catalog. Get an early start on selecting corn and soybean products for next year with our 2022 Stine Seed Catalog. We’ll have plenty of hard copies available at the show. Have one of our sales reps walk you through our extensive lineup of Enlist E3^® soybeans and our high-yielding corn (both traited and conventional options), and be sure to ask about our Yield+ Advantage products and MX Series Corn by Stine.
   
2. Our Farm Progress Show plot. Stine is fortunate to have one of two growing plots at this year’s Farm Progress Show. Our plot is located at Lot 1152 (near our booth) on the exhibit field. Tour the plot with one of our sales reps to see some of our Enlist E3 lines, including Stine 27EA23, 36EB32 and 40EB22. We’ll also have some of our top-yielding corn products on display, including Stine 9658-32, 9808E-20, 9709-G and MX514-20.
   
3. The Stine ALMACO R2 Harvester. A featured element of Stine’s display at the Farm Progress Show this year is the Stine ALMACO R2 Harvester. Manufactured by ALMACO in Nevada, Iowa, and designed specifically with Stine in mind, this unique research harvester can be used with both corn and soybeans and make plot harvest faster and more efficient. In fact, R2 harvesters can switch between corn and soybean plots in just 15 minutes, and they have grain tank capacity that allows for more harvest time and less unloading time. With their twin-plot, independent-rotary technology, our fleet of harvesters (we have six), will allow us to harvest 1,000,000 soybean plots and 600,000 corn plots this fall. Check out this innovative technology at the show!
   
4. Product and agronomic bulletins, hats, swag and more. As always, we’ll have a handful of informational materials and giveaways at this year’s show. From product and agronomic bulletins to our updated Stine hat and our tried-and-true Stine bags, stop by to see what’s new and stock up.

1. Our expert team of sales reps and agronomists. Last (but not least), we’ll have plenty of sales reps and agronomists on hand each day of the show to answer any questions you have on our 2022 lineup and to chat all things agronomy. Our team is available year-round to ensure you have everything you need for success in the field.

We look forward to seeing you in Decatur next week! Remember, you can find us at booth 1152.

We’re pleased to unveil the 2022 Stine Seed Company Catalog! For more than 50 years, we have invested our resources in building the relationships, systems and techniques needed to develop and evaluate corn and soybean genetics. Thanks to our years of expertise and the yield data we’ve captured through our Elite Yield Trials program, we’ve selected the highest-yielding, top-performing seed in our 2022 corn and soybean lineup.

Stine Yield+ Advantage Corn and Soybeans
New in 2022, we’re pleased to offer growers Yield+ Advantage corn and Enlist E3^® soybeans. Our Yield+ Advantage products are some of our top performers in our Elite Yield Trials and are carefully selected based on yield differential and market price calculations. You can identify these products in this year’s catalog by their Yield+ designation.

2022 Seed Corn Lineup
Stine is building better corn faster with the industry’s most prolific, highest-yielding corn breeding program. We bring genetics that cannot be found in any other company’s seed bag, and we feature a mix of traited and conventional products that excel in any field type. Growers seeking the industry’s top trait packages for weed control, disease resistance and insect protection, or who are looking to save some cash with a conventional option, need look no further than Stine’s 2022 corn lineup. We have Agrisure^®, LibertyLink^®, Herculex^® I and our line of Stine GT^™ traits, in addition to several HP Corn^® designated products for maximum returns in higher populations. We also have the latest in conventional options. Our conventional corn features premium genetics — the ones we use to build our traited products. Products range from 76 to 119 days relative maturity.

2022 Stine Soybean Lineup
Stine Enlist E3 soybeans feature elite, high-yielding germplasm from some of the industry’s best breeding programs with an advanced herbicide-tolerant trait technology, and once again, Stine is pleased to bring growers the industry’s most extensive lineup of Enlist E3 soybean varieties. We have 166 different options for growers to choose from in 2022 — including 89 new varieties —ranging from a 0007 to a 26 maturity.

Stine Enlist E3 soybeans offer maximum flexibility and convenience through the ability to use three unique modes of action for exceptional weed control, including glyphosate, glufosinate, and the new 2,4-D choline component included in Enlist Duo^® and Enlist One^® herbicides. Be sure to check out our unique line of Stine Yield+ Advantage Enlist E3 soybeans!

Growers seeking outstanding weed control with herbicide flexibility also have the advantage of Stine LibertyLink^® GT27^® soybeans next planting season. We have a complete lineup of LibertyLink GT27 soybeans that offer the high-yielding, elite genetics growers expect from Stine, plus full-season weed control through tolerance to three unique sites of action: glyphosate (pre or post), Liberty^® (pre or post), plus Group 27/HPPD inhibitor tolerance to isoxaflutole (pre only, where labeled in limited areas) and mesotrione (pre only). We have 25 options, ranging from a 04 to a 47 maturity.

We also have a line of XtendFlex^® soybeans available for growers — 10 varieties that range from a 07 to a 45 maturity. XtendFlex soybeans feature built-in tolerance to both dicamba, glyphosate and now glufosinate herbicides. 

And, growers who want to save a little money without sacrificing yield can turn to our line of Elite Conventional Soybeans. With Stine Elite Conventional Soybeans, growers don’t have to settle for old genetics, as we continually develop new conventional soybean seed. Our conventional soybeans are backed by years of research and data and have passed through our rigorous Elite Yield Trials, meaning they’re comprised of our best genetic material.

To learn more about our 2022 corn and soybean lineup, including our new Stine Yield+ Advantage products, contact your local Stine sales rep. You can also view our 2022 Stine Seed Company Catalog here.

While harvest season is underway in parts of the south and is just around the corner for the Corn Belt, growers aren’t out of the weeds when it comes to diseases that can impact yield. When combined with the right conditions, late-season corn diseases can decrease the quality and amount of grain and harvestability, so it’s important to continue scouting up until harvest to be on alert for affected areas. Here are some late-season corn diseases to look out for in August.  

Tar spot is a newer disease that continues to spread across the Corn Belt. First discovered in the United States around 2015, this disease — which can overwinter in the ground on infected crop residue — can also spread via wind and gusty rains. It favors cool, humid and wet conditions. Tar spot is caused by a fungus called Phyllachora maydis. It appears as raised black dots called stromata, which can appear on the leaves, stalks and husks of the plant. It’s often accompanied by fish-eye lesions, which are tan halos that surround the stromata. Tar spot can be confused with other pathogens, so it’s important to get a diagnosis from an agronomist or laboratory specialist to confirm. Unlike corn rust, tar spot fungus stromata cannot be rubbed off. Tar spot can lead to poor grain fill and stalk rot and lodging issues, which can be detrimental to a clean harvest and yield.

Stalk rots are environmental and include gibberella, fusarium, diplodia and charcoal rots, to name a few. Signs of stalk rot may not show up until later in the season but are usually exacerbated by hot conditions in both wet and dry environments. The biggest indicator of stalk rot is brittle stalks. Some of the bacteria may form different colored fungus on the stalks as well. Stalk rot can lead to weakened plants and reduced grain fill as it hinders the plants' ability to uptake water and nutrients. Brittle stalks can also lead to lodging, which makes it difficult to harvest. It’s recommended to apply fungicides early to mitigate stalk rots around the V6-V8 stages. 

Ear molds are environmental and can be caused by the same pathogens that cause stalk rots, such as gibberella, fusarium, diplodia and aspergillus. Symptoms include different variations and colors of mold on the ear. For example, gibberella mold is commonly red or pink in color, fusarium can be white to pink, diplodia can be white with black fungal spots and aspergillus is an olive-green mold. It’s important to note that there is some hybrid resistance to ear molds. The best way to prevent pathogens like ear molds, which can significantly reduce the quality of grain, is through fungicides. The pathogens causing the rot can continue to grow after harvest, so having the right storage available is essential if you plan to wait to take it to the elevator. Certain ear rots can also produce mycotoxins, which can affect livestock health.

Mitigation strategies are essential to protect your crops from these late-season diseases. Strategies can include fungicides, which your crop may still benefit from until the R3 stage; tillage to help break up the infected residue; crop rotation, which can keep the disease at bay as many of these diseases are only prevalent in corn; and investing in a hybrid that contains resistance to whichever disease you are tackling this year so that you're protecting your crop next year. 

When in doubt, contact your local Stine rep for guidance on late-season corn diseases.