Trait evolution helps drives yield success

Rhizozorb is redefining what growers expect from phosphate fertilizer. Backed by data and built for performance, Rhizozorb helps reduce phosphorus losses, improve uptake and boost ROI without increasing input costs. Join the next wave of growers switching to the next generation of phosphorus fertilizers by visiting phospholutions.com. Bernard Tobin at Canada's Outdoor Farm Show. I'm over at Bear now, catching up with Darrell Whittington. Darrell, how's it going? That's going great today. We've got beautiful weather and a great turnout. I want to talk a little bit about DeKalb here. A little bit of history and obviously a little bit of the future. You've got a 25 year look at the history makers here. Tell us about what we're looking at. So there's a few of our products here and they're either in platinum or a gold field sign. Look here. And what we've done is taken a concept that one of my farmers brought to me and it's basically celebrating the history of DeKalb and the innovation we brought forward. There's many times farmers get around the table with a group of them and say, what was that hybrid I used to grow? Oh, I can't remember it. And we want to celebrate those hybrids. Those hybrids have brought us to where we are. They brought the name we have with the DeKalb name. We brought the innovation of the multiple different traits we offer. And as we've evolved and we'll continue to evolve with multiple traits for your farm. Now I'm a record man. I have gold and platinum albums at home. Take me through some of the gold and platinum varieties you have here and the treats. So the same concept here as the gold and platinum records is we have the gold ones in the background over here. They're products that have sold a large volume of seed for us over the years. And then we have the platinum, which is our high end products that have sold the most volumes for us going forward. If you look here, we have DKC 5018. This is kind of the legendary product that started it all for us. It brought the BT trait to corn and and really brought the DeKalb name to a lot of farms in Ontario. If you go right beside it, you see DKC5044. That's when we launched VT Triple Pro and was an evolution from 5018 with a new genetic and roundup ready and root worm traits. And then one of our staples, 5078 will be our single highest selling variety. Just been a steady eddy for us. And a VT Double Pro, another new trade offering that we into the lineup after the other 50 family. If you go around the history makers, you'll see lots of different trade offerings, lots of products that are retired. You have a product like 4856 that we actually still currently sell that is one of our top sales varieties and still going strong. Now, Darrell, Hank, tell me about the importance of traits and how they've basically driven the sales and the success of some of these hybrids. Well, I think traits are very important to drive innovation. What happens is we have some problems in the field and we develop some traits to solve those problems. We have corn bore solve that problem. Root worm traits that we brought out took insecticides from infurrow into the corn plant so we had to use less insecticides. Now we have some resistance building up and we have some new traits coming that's going to help combat those problems. With soybeans, some weeds are becoming resistant and we're bringing out new traits to help combat those weeds. Whether it's Roundup ready to extend soybeans or the new Viconic beans will have even more modes of action to be able to combat weed challenges moving forward. We're going to talk about the future of bare traits here now with Anne Marie Van Whaley. Anne Marie, how's it going? Good. Thanks for coming by. I want to talk about what you're standing next to there. That is the VT4 Pro. Tell us about that. Now you've got above and below ground protection, right? That's correct. We've taken our Tricepta trait and we've added below ground protection to that trait. So with the BT4 Pro, you're getting above ground protection that you're used to. But we've also have protection for western bean cutworm on the ears. And in addition to that you have below ground protection for corn rootworm. So we have there's a BT trait and our newest RNAi technology. So there's two modes of action below ground for corn rootworms. What about the rotation though, Emery? Where does it fit? For sure. So first and foremost, if you're having corn root worm issues, your best bet is to rotate and your second option would be to go to a trait. So when we're looking at the VT4 trait, where it would fit great is if you're having western bean cutworm issues so that you have the above ground protection for that. And if corn rootworm is a moderate concern, so not in those really high corn rootworm areas, but it does have protection for corn rootworm below ground. What are you telling growers this fall as they go through harvest, as they're scouting their fields, having a last look about and what they're seeing and how that ties into using a trait like this for sure. So I think the most important thing is know what your area is like. So there are areas where corn rootworm is a huge issue. In those areas, your first and best bet is going to be to rotate out of a corn crop. If you're a continuous corn grower, your next option would be going to a trait. If corn rootworm is a moderate concern, a VT4 Pro is a great option. Smart Stacks is still also a great option. And then we have Smart Stacks Pro as well for corn root worm issues. But again, if corn root worm is a huge issue, consult with your agronomist, your local retailer and talk through, like, what your best options are for your field. One final question, and that is about Smart Stacks Pro. Obviously, you know, one end of the spectrum here. You know, how do growers navigate that decision? Obviously, you know, we have a new product here and we do have Smart Stacks. Yep. So for Smart Stacks Pro, we have actually three modes of action below ground. So there's two BT traits and then that new RNAI technology. So that would be a great fit for people that have more corn rootworm issues. Then you have three modes of action below ground for those corn rootworm areas versus the VT4 Pro that has two modes of action. So it's more for that moderate corn root worm sensitive areas versus the Smart Stacks Pro. Great stuff, Anne Marie. Appreciate you making some time for real agriculture here at Canada's outdoor Farm show. Yeah, thanks for coming by. It.