STOP Trying to Make Hybrid Selections

Stop trying to make hybrid selections.

Wait, what? 

Yield is determined by a complex combination of Genetics, Management, and Environment. Or in simple terms G x M x E = Yield. Some have even referred to G, M, and E as the three legs of the “Yield Stool.” And from this perspective, each of the three legs of the stool are equally important. 

Have you ever tried to sit on a three-legged stool whose legs aren’t equal in length?

The reality is that a stool with unequal legs, while it may be difficult to sit on, is exactly how yield is made. It’s more like:

Yield is the seat, the level of productivity that we can measure from a given combination of Genetics, Management, and Environment, and each of the legs is not equal. 

So, what do you think is the most impactful leg? Environment? 

In measurable terms you are exactly right. Based on university research approximately 48% of yield can be attributed to “climate” or the environment in which your crop is grown. 

What’s interesting though is most growers believe after the environment that genetics is the next largest variable in the yield equation. 

Management, or as the university research calls it “agronomic,” is the second most important leg on the stool, accounting for around 39% of final yield. 

What is “agronomic” you might think, for the most part it is you and the management decisions you make. The tools, timing, and products you choose to use to produce a crop. And I would argue that YOU are the most important variable. 

Why? Because you can’t control the weather, and if you are doing the math with me, you’ve already figured out that Genetics only accounts for around 13% of final yield.

Of the 52% of total yield that you have control of, how much time are you spending on the 13% that is determined by genetics? And how much time are you spending on improving the 39%, the management? The most valuable part of your operation, the part you have complete control of and where you can make the biggest effect on yield on your farm.

So, STOP trying to make hybrid selections! 

That’s where our team and the team of genetics and trait suppliers can make the most impact on your operation – identifying, testing, and selecting for production, only the very best products. Then placing the best in the fields on your farm where they fit, assisting you in making timely management decisions about those hybrids, and watching with you as the harvest results roll across the scale.