Top 5 Factors Impacting 2016 Silage Corn Hybrid Selection

New Mycogen® brand bm3 BMR and TMF silage corn hybrids have superior feeding value

Dairy producers continue to focus on income over feed cost (IOFC) as they look to maximize corn silage feed quality and yield potential in 2016. New Mycogen® brand bm3 BMR and TMF silage corn hybrids for 2016 will provide high fiber digestibility and maximum tonnage to help dairy producers increase milk production and optimize feed efficiency.

“When selecting silage hybrids for the milking cow ration, the most important thing is digestibility,” says Gerry Hull, New York dairy producer. “I will also consider the maturity and the agronomics of that hybrid.”

In addition to fiber digestibility, the following agronomic characteristics are top of mind for growers for the 2016 season, according to Stratus Ag Research: tonnage, disease tolerance, early season vigor and standability.1 Mark Riehl, regional agronomy leader for Mycogen Seeds, explains how keeping these characteristics in mind when selecting silage corn hybrids for 2016 is important:

1. Optimum fiber digestibility
For a high-quality feed in high-forage diets, dairy producers need silage corn hybrids with a high Neutral Detergent Fiber Digestibility (NDFD). Diets with high NDFD encourage greater dry matter intake (DMI) and higher milk production.2

The bm3 gene in Mycogen brand BMR has an NDFD advantage of up to 15 percentage points over other silage corn hybrids.3 For a high NDFD, consider these new bm3 BMR hybrids: BMR97B34, BMR10B27 RA, BMR12B75, BMR14B96.

“Our bm3 BMR has never been beaten in a university lactation trial,” says Phil Krueger, dairy nutritionist with Mycogen Seeds. “In 20 studies since 1999, bm3 BMR has outperformed other hybrids by an average of 5.2 pounds more energy-corrected milk per cow per day.”

2. Maximum tonnage
Mycogen brand bm3 BMR and TMF hybrids, including TMF91Q25, TMF06S67 RA, TMF14L46, BMR10B27 RA and BMR14B96, can deliver both maximum tonnage and high NDFD across varying growing conditions. Yield stability indicates a proven track record for performance in both ideal and stressful growing conditions year after year.

“Achieving optimum tonnage and feed quality is a team effort,” Riehl says. “Work closely with your local agronomist and nutritionist to determine proper management practices.”

3. Disease tolerance
Diseases are one of the biggest threats to yield. TMF91Q25, TMF94L37, TMF99Q41, TMF99Q47 RA and BMR97B34 are great options to help address local diseases. For 2016, growers should consider hybrids that stand up to common diseases, such as gray leaf spot and northern corn leaf blight.

4. Early season vigor
Cool, wet soils, as seen in 2015, can slow early plant development and predispose seedlings to rot and blight. Hybrids with early season vigor, TMF94L37 or TMF86H77 RA, help growers get the season off to a good start.

5. Improved standability
Standability is important for harvesting at the ideal whole-plant moisture, especially in fields with high plant populations or perennial stalk rot issues. New Mycogen brand silage corn hybrids, TMF86H77 RA, TMF99Q41, TMF99Q47 RA, TMF06S67 RA, BMR97B34 and BMR14B96, with above-average staygreen and stalk strength will translate into exceptional standability at harvest.

“Dairy and beef producers need silage corn hybrids to perform well in the field and in the ration,” Riehl says. “It’s not just about tonnage. Feeding value plays a significant role in overall profitability.”

Mycogen Seeds has the most robust silage corn lineup in the industry, complete with improved disease and trait packages and the right agronomic characteristics for forage quality. These silage corn hybrids from Mycogen Seeds, new for 2016, deliver maximum tonnage potential and superior NDFD.

Contact your local Mycogen Seeds commercial agronomist or sales representative for a custom crop plan for your fields. Visit Mycogen.com to find your local Mycogen Seeds field representative.

About Mycogen Seeds

Mycogen Seeds is one of America’s fastest-growing seed companies, offering leading genetics in corn, soybeans, silage corn, sunflowers and canola. A retail seed company of Dow AgroSciences LLC, Mycogen Seeds maintains a robust global research and development program to bring growers high-performance genetics with the latest trait technologies. Working together, the people of Mycogen Seeds help growers find opportunity in every acre. For more information about Mycogen brand products, visit www.mycogen.com. Follow Mycogen Seeds on Facebook and YouTube.

About Dow AgroSciences
 Dow AgroSciences discovers, develops, and brings to market crop protection and plant biotechnology solutions for the growing world. Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, Dow AgroSciences is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company and had annual global sales of $7.3 billion in 2014. Learn more at www.dowagro.com. Follow Dow AgroSciences on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+, or subscribe to our News Release RSS Feed.