Can I actually plant in 40-degree soil temps? Is it really different? Why don’t other seed companies have it?
These are the big questions we got last year about Hefty Brand 40 Series Corn.
To quickly answer these questions – yes, yes, and I don’t know, but here’s a little more detail to better explain why we came out with this corn and what makes it unique.
CAN I ACTUALLY PLANT WHEN THE SOIL TEMP IS 40 DEGREES?
Absolutely!! This may seem crazy, but we’ve actually seen good success in temperatures colder than 40 degrees with our Hefty Brand 40 Series Corn, so don’t fear those cold nights. Just plant once your soil is dry and you are on or past your first planting date for crop insurance.
Over the past few years, has your seed dealer ever said, “It’s too cold to plant”? Have you seen poor stands or low yields after planting into cold soils? Have you been nervous about being the first farmer in your area to put seed in the ground? Have you wondered how you can get all your acres planted in a timely fashion despite cold weather? Have you been wishing you could see faster emergence? These challenges have plagued farmers for decades, but now there is a better solution than we’ve ever had before. No other seed company today can offer this to you, but we can, with Hefty Brand 40 Series Corn.
We are so confident in our 40 Series Corn hybrids, we back it up with a free replant policy! Talk to your Hefty Agronomist for full details of our program, but as long as you are planting after the first crop insurance date in your area and when the soil is dry enough to plant, we’ll back you up. Ideally, we would also love to see you use an insecticide in-furrow or T-banded, as well as have a fungicide in-furrow, as both of these treatments typically improve cold soil stands and yields, but neither is a requirement for our free replant policy.
IS IT REALLY DIFFERENT? YES! HERE’S WHY…
1. HEFTY COMPLETE SEED TREATMENT
With 37 components, Hefty Complete Corn Seed Treatment should mean faster emergence. We’ve seen up to 20% faster emergence compared to standard seed treatments. You should also see better cold tolerance, greater nutrient uptake, and fewer diseases and insects. All these factors are important since corn will sit in the soil longer than normal when temperatures are cold.
2. HIGH COLD GERMINATION SCORES.
Look on the seed tag from any company. What you are looking at is called a WARM germination test. While the warm germination score is listed, no company we know of lists or guarantees a high COLD germination percentage. Since the warm seed germination test is typically run at 77 degrees in the lab, knowing that score isn’t very helpful when it comes to planting in 40-degree soils.
3. THE BEST GENETICS WITH GOOD EARLY VIGOR.
Yes, we pick hybrids based first on yield, but we also want good early emergence scores since we know early planting is important to you, and it typically leads to more bushels.
WHY DON’T OTHER SEED COMPANIES HAVE IT?
I don’t know, but I believe many others are working on it, because we’ve had a lot of farmers switch their early plantings to 40 Series Corn instead of planting competitive hybrids. I understand it’s hard to believe that a smaller company came out with this first and the “big guys” don’t have it, but when you look through the history of the United States and especially when it comes to farming, a lot of the innovation occurs when individuals or small companies develop new concepts or technologies. Hopefully every company eventually comes out with seed that can be planted much earlier than normal like ours can, as this is something that is needed on most farms, especially in the northern United States. The earlier you can plant, the better chance you have for high yields; the earlier you plant, the more time you have for all your other jobs on the farm. No corn other than 40 Series can give you the thing you may need most – time.
FINAL ADVICE
Plant 40 Series Corn first on your farm. Plant 40 Series Corn when it’s cold or warm. Plant 40 Series Corn if the upcoming forecast looks bad. Plant 40 Series Corn even if someone told you imbibitional chilling will damage your seed. Plant 40 Series Corn when other seed companies are saying, “It’s too cold to plant.” Plant 40 Series Corn with CONFIDENCE!