Photos from the Sparta Channel corn plot using Yield PRO's drone.  Products featured in the plot are 197-68, 197-50, 196-77, 201-61, P0193, 202-52, 202-64, and 200-48.  This is a corn on corn plot and all Channel products include the Smartstax trait package.  Many of these hybrids are also available in VT2P.

These four sets of ears tell the story of how Channel 203-44STX performs across soil types.  The first set came from very low organic matter sand where the plants and husk are nearly dead from drought stress and nitrogen loss.  The next set are from the same field where the soil held enough water to keep the plant alive and green.  The third set is from very good soil with a standing plant population of 35,000.  This field should yield in the 235-245 bu/ acre range.  The last set came from the same field as the first 2 sets planted at the same population the only difference is the irrigation system reach that area giving the plants plenty of water and added nutrients.  Overall this hybrid performed well over a wide range of environments showing why picking the right hybrid is very important.

This picture shows the girthy (20 rows around) ears of 201-61.  This hybrid is tall but maintains a low ear placement for improved standability.  There will be availability of Smartstax or VT Double PRO trait packages.  Silage could be an option for this hybrid given its height and grain yield potential.

2108R2 is a new 2.1 maturity medium bush style soybean.  It has best in maturity disease tolerance.  So far this season they look great!  I have not seen any white mold issues with 2108's.  I look for them to finish well with the recent rains and cooler temps. 

201-61STX on left and 202-52STX on right are new products available for the 2016 sales season.  As you can see there is a large difference in plant height.  Both hybrids have a girthy flex ear and look to be a great improvement over existing products.  202-52 may be a good choice to manage residue on corn on corn acres where high yield levels are expected.  These new products are being tested against existing hybrids in the Sparta corn plot.

Left to right 205-19stx, 206-78stx, and 207-27stx.  These three new dual purpose silage varieties are being extensively tested for yield and quality.  Channel has been focusing on their forage product lineup and availability of high yielding silage hybrids couldn't be better.  I will have new forage guides along with all the regional silage yield and quality data in late September.