How to Interpret Yield Data
This fall Latham Hi-Tech Seeds has done very well in the F.I.R.S.T. trials all over the Midwest, winning many locations and Regional Performance Summaries. With such great data, it’s no wonder that farmers want to call in and order the winners. If we’re doing our job, however, we may not let you!
Why wouldn’t we let farmers order what they want without asking any questions? The answer is simple: Just because a product placed first in a yield trial in one location, in one year, across one predominant soil type, doesn’t guarantee it will be the yield winner given another farm and a different management style.
When study yield results from independent yield trials, be sure to analyze the information. Here are some tips for interpreting yield data:
- Compare to a check strip that helps you check for variability across the field. Look to see if a particular product is yielding exceptionally well or exceptionally low as compared to the plot average. How has this same product been performing across multiple locations?
- Is there a disease that has been prevalent this year, like Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), that you know is affecting that particular product?
- How variable was the rainfall in that area this year? What were planting and growing conditions?
To help you select the right seed for your given situation, we’ll ask discovery questions first to determine needs like fighting weed resistance or corn rootworm. We’ll also visit with you about our hallmark Seed-2-Soil program for crop planning and/or nutrient management to help support your product selection.
Don’t get me wrong… Latham Hi-Tech Seeds is thrilled with how well we’ve performed this season in third party, unbiased, independent yield trials! It is great that we can win yield trials but winning on the farm is what really counts. We want to combine our yield data – with your own farm data – to help ensure you get the best products for your acres.
