Hotshot Hybrids

From single traits to quad stacks, it's a tough decision to choose seed. Each year the decision about what seed to use becomes more complicated. Let The Corn And Soybean Digest simplify your job. We asked major seed companies for their hotshot hybrids for 2008, and have compiled them for you. Take a look at these seed companies' top picks for the 2008 growing season.

Use this guide as a starting point for selecting hybrids for next year. Be sure to also consider university, independent and company trial data when you do decide.

2008 Hybrids Key

Hybrids are listed alphabetically by company, grouped into three relative maturity (RM) zones:
Early season (75-104 days)
Mid-season (105-112 days)
Late-season (113-120 days)

Most herbicide and insect treatments are abbreviated. They include:
Agrisure Corn Borer (CB)
Agrisure Glyphosate Tolerant (GT)
Agrisure Rootworm (RW)
Clearfield (CL)
Herculex 1 (HX1)
Herculex XTRA (HXX)
Liberty Link (LL)
Roundup Ready (RR)
Roundup Ready 2 (RR2)
VecTran Triple (VT3)
YieldGard Corn Borer (YGCB)
YieldGard Plus (YGPL)
YieldGard VT Triple (YGVT3)

Editor's Note: This list isn't intended to be comprehensive. Companies included on this list are those named by readers in the The Corn And Soybean Digest's 2007 Reader Profile.

EARLY SEASON

AGRIGOLD

A6225VT3 — 98-day RM (VT3)

(Asgrow is no longer going to offer corn hybrids.)

A6279VT3 — 101-day RM (VT3)

• Exceptional yield for maturity with fast drydown
• Outstanding late-season plant intactness
• Above-average emergence, early vigor

A6325VT3 — 104-day RM (VT3)

• Outstanding yield potential under high management systems
• Excellent health, staygreen, late-season plant intactness
• Above-average grain quality; high test weight

BECK'S

5112CBRWRR — 104-day RM (RR/YGPL)

• Outstanding yield potential;fast drydown
• Very good root strength
• Strong emergence in cool, wet environments

5112RR — 104-day RM (RR)

• High yielding
• Excellent stalk, root strength
• Responds to high populations

4807VT3 — 102-day RM (YGVT3/RR)

• High yielding
• Excellent stalk, root strength
• Responds to high populations

CROPLAN

3114VT3 — 91-day RM (YGVT3)

• Handles all soil types
• Excellent root, stalk strength
• Very fast drydown

3724VT3 — 96-day RM (YGVT3)

• Outstanding high-end yield potential
• Industry's highest yield hybrid for maturity
• Excellent stalks, roots, drydown; very good grain quality, test weight
• Average staygreen, fast-die/fast-dry hybrid; moves north very well

5338VT3 — 104-day RM (YGVT3)

• Outstanding high-end yield potential
• Excellent stalks, plant health enables movement into eastern Corn Belt
• More drought tolerance on lighter soils