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Hefty Complete Corn Seed Treatment is our proprietary blend of fungicides, insecticide, and Hefty Naturals (biologicals) containing 35 active ingredients proven to increase your net income.

Years of testing combined with our agronomic knowledge gave us the insight to create the industry’s most comprehensive corn seed treatment, increasing early season vigor, stress tolerance, and crop health to give you the best chance for more yield at harvest.

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Here are some management tips to ensure the best experience from your SmartStax® choices.

INSECTS – Keep in mind that SmartStax® has belowground insect protection from multiple Bt traits, as well as a higher rate of seed treatment insecticide. That may not be enough to stop heavy insect infestations. In many cases, the bugs must take a bite out of the root before they are controlled. With many, many bites, it’s possible to see crop injury. Consider using an in-furrow insecticide, as well. Products like Capture LFR have come way down in price in recent years and are quite affordable.

POST-EMERGE WEED CONTROL – SmartStax® hybrids carry herbicide tolerance to both Liberty (glufosinate) and Roundup® (glyphosate), offering more ways to control tough weeds.

USE A PRE – Don’t skip the powerful weed control options you have for residual control. Apply them at – or hopefully before – planting.

PRODUCT CHOICE – If broadleaf weeds are a huge issue, choose a pre-emerge product to address those weeds and take many of them out before they even emerge from the soil. Products like Verdict and Resicore are great options, but there are many more, as well.

 MULTIPLE EFFECTIVE MODES OF ACTION – Be sure to use multiple effective modes of action each time you spray for weeds. For example, Status is a great post-emerge choice because of its broad-spectrum weed control and two highly effective modes of action on most weeds. Avoid spraying straight Roundup® or any single mode of action as resistant weeds are out there and growing in severity each year.

DISEASES – Watch the Hefty Brand Corn hybrid characteristics chart and consult the management tips for each hybrid. Most hybrids have one disease or another that may require extra protection from a fungicide. Many of the diseases will show up in fields after V8 and come during very sensitive growth stages. Avoid the use of surfactants or oils with your pre-tassel fungicide applications or use labeled NPE/APE-free surfactants to protect your crop from arrested ear development.

The RIB Complete® versions of VT Double PRO® Corn, DroughtGard® with VT Double PRO®, Trecepta® and SmartStax® hybrids contain a 5% refuge in every bag for corn (non-cotton) growing areas of the country. These seeds are all tolerant to Roundup (glyphosate) herbicide and contain no Bt insect traits. The SmartStax® refuge component also carries tolerance to Liberty (glufosinate) herbicide, giving you an extra weed control option in the premium trait package. With refuge-in-a-bag, there’s no need to plant a separate/structured refuge.

Find the right SmartStax® hybrid for your farm!

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VT DOUBLE PRO® is the most popular Hefty Brand Corn Trait!

With tolerance to Roundup® herbicide, insect protection from key aboveground pests like European corn borer, and a competitive price point, it’s easy to see why VT Double PRO® Corn is such an attractive package!

Here are some tips for managing your VT Double PRO® Corn. Follow all the management tips on page 8. They also apply to your VT Double PRO® Corn. In addition, there are two more to consider.

INSECTS – Dropping down from SmartStax® to VT Double PRO® means giving up belowground insect protection on pests like corn rootworm. Be sure to use a planting time insecticide like Force, Aztec, or Capture LFR, as there is no rescue treatment for corn rootworm.

WEED CONTROL – If you are used to using Liberty® or Roundup® in SmartStax® corn, remember VT Double PRO® is only tolerant to Roundup, not Liberty.

Use the tools below to choose the best VT Double PRO® hybrids for your operation!

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Hefty Brand DroughtGard® Hybrids feature a drought tolerance gene PLUS the Bt protection of VT Double PRO®!

How is DroughtGard® different from other competitive “drought-tolerant” brands?

DroughtGard® corn hybrids contain the only drought-tolerant biotechnology trait for corn on the market. Other hybrids marketed as “drought-tolerant” but not containing the DroughtGard® trait brand are simply just hybrids observed to stay greener longer in low rainfall environments. The biotechnology trait in DroughtGard hybrids helps plants create essential proteins for growth even when water is scarce.

The world’s first and only drought-tolerant biotechnology trait for corn, DroughtGard® Hybrids are designed to help corn plants resist drought stress and minimize the risk associated with one key, unpredictable factor: weather. The DroughtGard® Hybrids trait is a part of a systems approach that combines the best agronomic recommendations, germplasm selected for top-end yield potential, and superior drought-tolerance characteristics. The DroughtGard® Hybrids gene helps the plant create proteins that are essential for growth, helping to support yield opportunity when water is scarce.

This portion of our seed lineup is growing fast and features some of our best-performing products. You may choose them for the DroughtGard® trait, but you’ll keep using them due to top yields!

Here are some tips for managing your DroughtGard® corn.

BEST SUCCESS IN DROUGHT – The biotechnology trait is just one step in making your crop more drought-tolerant. Great agronomic recommendations at every step during crop development are critical. All Hefty Brand Corn hybrids are treated with Hefty Complete Corn Seed Treatment, which contains several microbial products to enhance root development and tolerance to drought. Providing balanced and ample fertility allows your plant to lower its water usage required to take up nutrients. Reducing soil compaction and improving your soil’s air/water balance with drainage tile where necessary allows for maximum root depth. In short, minimizing stress throughout the season is the secret to handling additional challenges like drought.

INSECTS – Just like with VT Double PRO®, when you drop down from the belowground insect protection of SmartStax®, you give up protection on pests like corn rootworm. Be sure to add a planting-time insecticide into your program. Force, Aztec, and Capture LFR are a few of the good products you may choose to stop corn rootworms, cutworms, and other tough insects. There is no rescue treatment to come back in-crop with, so don’t skip the insecticide at planting.

WEED CONTROL – DroughtGard® hybrids feature tolerance to Roundup® herbicide, as well as the conventional corn herbicides you’ve used for years. These hybrids are not tolerant to Liberty like SmartStax® corn. For more herbicide recommendations, view the Roundup Ready® corn section.

View our selection of DroughtGard® hybrids below!

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This premium aboveground insect protection trait package contains three unique modes of action to stop pests such as European corn borer, corn earworm, fall armyworm, black cutworm, and western bean cutworm. Expect to see healthier stalks, cleaner ears, and improved grain quality even compared to top-of-the-line Bt products like VT Double PRO®.

WEED CONTROL – Trecepta® corn hybrids are tolerant to Roundup herbicides for added
post-emerge grass and broadleaf control.

INSECTS – While the aboveground insect protection Trecepta® provides is fantastic, you will need to apply a planting time insecticide to protect against corn rootworms, grubs, and secondary pests. Insecticides like Capture LFR are effective and have become very inexpensive. Scouting throughout the season is always recommended, as Bt products stop specific insects, but they do not kill all bugs that could possibly be in your fields.

DISEASE – Trecepta® has been shown to help reduce disease pressure in stalks and especially ears by eliminating many of the worst insect pests. Using fungicides to help protect the plants from foliar diseases is still necessary.

FERTILITY – Trecepta® helps allow the ear to fill out to the tip by reducing feeding from insects. Adding fertility around tasseling time with nitrogen, sulfur, and boron can help, too. Soil and plant tissue testing will help you identify which nutrients could help your yields on each acre.

Browse Hefty Brand Trecepta® hybrids below!

CONVENTIONAL

If you choose to grow conventional corn, here are a few things to keep in mind that could help with your crop management this season.

WEED CONTROL – Without Roundup® or Liberty to help you kill weeds, you have to be smart. Start with a full rate of a Group 15 grass herbicide to stop the most expensive and damaging weeds in corn, namely annual grasses like the foxtail species. Don’t use the weed killers that focus on broadleaf control, which is much cheaper to achieve post-emerge.

INSECTS – Utilize a full rate of an in-furrow insecticide. The key with conventional corn is to keep the roots healthy and free of insects (and diseases) to improve nutrient uptake, stress tolerance, stability, and overall yield. Unless you’re planting something like SmartStax®, chances are good you need an insecticide. Also, scout regularly for aboveground insects and treat when necessary.

DISEASE – Adding a fungicide like Xanthion or a combination insecticide/fungicide product like Manticor in-furrow when planting early is a good idea. If you are in a heavy disease pressure situation, it won’t hurt to make that investment even when weather conditions are good. Xyway is another option for disease protection with a planting-time application. We prefer to see Xyway used in a 2 X 2 rather than in-furrow.

FERTILITY – Consider in-furrow or 2 X 2 starter fertility to boost early performance. Keep rates small and use a low-salt fertilizer.

MICROBES/SOIL HEALTH – We’ve never seen as good a response from a natural package as we have with Alpha Complete. Try it in-furrow or in your 2 X 2 and see the difference!

THE REAL DIFFERENCE MAKER is Hefty Complete Seed Treatment on your Hefty Brand Corn. While other companies focus on conventional corn being cheap, we have added 37 components to our seed treatment to make your corn great! Dig some roots up early and throughout the season. Focus on setting your planter so every seed is placed perfectly. Finally, notice how fast your corn gets out of the ground with Hefty Complete!

Choose the right conventional hybrids for your farm!

If you don’t need Bt’s for insect protection, Roundup Ready® Corn 2 hybrids could be the best choice for your farm! With tolerance to Roundup herbicide, your production costs controlling grass escapes and other tough weeds could be significantly less than with conventional corn hybrids. Here are a few tips to get the most out of your Roundup Ready® Corn 2 hybrids this year:

WEED CONTROL – Start with a great pre-emerge herbicide program. If broadleaf weeds are your top concern choose a combination broadleaf and grass herbicide to address your toughest weed problem. If grass control is your biggest issue, choose a straight Group 15 herbicide and use it at the full labeled rate. With Roundup as part of your post emerge program, you can inexpensively and effectively clean up almost any annual grass weed.

INSECTS – Utilize in-furrow insecticide. The key with Roundup Ready® corn is to keep the roots healthy and free of insects (and diseases) to improve nutrient uptake, stress tolerance, stability, and overall yield. Unless you’re planting something like SmartStax®, chances are good you need an insecticide. Also, scout regularly for aboveground insects and treat when necessary.

DISEASE – Use an insecticide/fungicide product in-furrow like Manticor when planting early and maybe all season long depending on disease pressure. Xyway is a good disease protection option that we like in a 2 X 2 rather than in-furrow.

FERTILITY – Consider in-furrow or 2 X 2 starter fertility to boost early performance. Keep rates small and use a low-salt fertilizer.

MICROBES/SOIL HEALTH – We’ve never seen as good a response from a natural package as we have with Alpha Complete. Try it in-furrow or in your 2 X 2 and see the difference!

HEFTY COMPLETE SEED TREATMENT on your Hefty Brand Corn is a difference-maker, too. Dig some roots up early and throughout the season. Focus on setting your planter so every seed is placed perfectly. Finally, notice how fast your corn gets out of the ground with Hefty Complete!

Check out these Hefty Brand Roundup Ready® Corn 2 hybrids below!