Seed Traits

A new peer-reviewed work has been published (April 2013) that outlines some significant global economic and environmental benefits of genetically modified (GM) crops. Agricultural entomologist Mike Gray, University of Illinois, has conducted western corn rootworm research for many years and was particularly interested in the overall U.S. farm income gain attributed to corn rootworm Bt hybrids – $7.1 billion cumulative benefits since 2003....More

Last year, farmers didn't have nearly enough rain for their wilted, drought-ravaged crops. So far this year, they have too much of it – so much that they can't get into their fields to work them for corn planting....More

Think about what one single seed does for you as a farmer. A single corn seed that weighs 1/100th of an ounce has the ability to be placed in dirt, germinate, grow into a plant 7-10+ ft. tall and multiply the grain yield 500 fold. No manmade machine possesses an equivalent ability to perform a comparable feat....More

Fungicide seed treatments protect seedlings from both seed-borne pathogens as well as soil-borne pathogens, says Emmanuel Byamukama, SDSU Extension Plant Pathologist. "Seed-borne pathogens can be those inhabiting the seed surface or those in the interior of the seed. Soil-borne pathogens survive in the soil and when they get in contact with the seed or seedling and the conditions are conducive, the infection process is initiated," he says....More