A replant calculator is now being offered by Pioneer Hi-Bred to help corn growers in that difficult situation. The tool is meant to help producers decide whether to keep their current stand or replant where their crops have been impacted by weather, pests or other issues.

The calculator is available on Mobile Pioneer.com via the tools section, which can be accessed through the main navigation menu. It takes into account the original date for planting, original stand target and resulting plant population, and the possible replanting date. Growers are asked to consider their own likely replanting seed and input costs. The calculator presents both scenarios, current stand and replant stand, and provides estimates associated with each choice.

“We want growers to get the best yields possible with our products,” says Chuck Bremer, Pioneer agronomy e-business information manager. “Although every grower tries to target the best planting date and stand, things happen that can negatively impact the crop early in the season. The replant calculator helps growers address the tough question of whether to keep their current stand or replant to achieve a new stand that more closely meets their original yield target.”

The replant calculator is based on a long-standing chart developed by Dr. Emerson Nafziger of the University of Illinois and widely used across the Corn Belt, which illustrates the effects of planting date and plant population of grain yield for the central Corn Belt. The new calculator also takes into account the current shift to higher populations, as suggested by Pioneer research and data.

The calculator is part of a suite of tools available to growers on pioneer.com.

Source: Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont Business

Novozymes and Syngenta have announced a global agreement under which Syngenta will work with Novozymes to commercialize JumpStart technology.  The two companies will jointly develop the market for JumpStart in combination with Syngenta’s seed care portfolio on arable crops, including cereals and corn. The agreement extends the geographical potential of JumpStart, currently sold mainly in North America, to the rest of the world.

Thomas Videbaek, Executive Vice President, Novozymes, comments: “Partnering with Syngenta supports Novozymes’ strategic goal to provide the world with natural and biological solutions to help farmers worldwide increase their yields to feed the world’s growing population.”

Phosphorus is an essential macronutrient for the healthy growth of young plants. JumpStart is based on a unique fungus, Penicillium bilaii, which increases phosphate solubilization for uptake into the plant through the root system. The market potential for seed-applied technologies that increase phosphate use efficiency is estimated at over $100 million.

John Atkin, COO Syngenta, says: “We’re pleased to enter into this agreement with Novozymes, which marks a further addition to our growing range of bioactives. Our seed care portfolio already offers best-in-class control of insects and diseases together with crop enhancement benefits. With the addition of JumpStart, growers will now gain the added advantage of improved phosphate efficiency.”

Source: Novozymes