BEYOND

WINTER 2016 

BEYOND SEED 

YOUR INFORMATION SOURCE FOR CANOLA, SUNFLOWERS AND WHEAT.

— YOUR CROPLAN ® SEED TEAM — 

33. 

Kennewick 

34. 

Spokane Valley 

35. 

Pomeroy 

8. 

Fairfield 

9. 

Billings 

13. 

Devils Lake 

12. 

Anamoose 

14. 15. 16. 

Bismarck Jamestown 

17. 

Grand 

Forks 

18. 

West Fargo 

Colorado 

1. Jessy Nicholson 

Retail Development Manager 

Lakewood, CO 

303-345-7783 

2. Miranda Sims 

Retail Agronomy Advisor 

Otis, CO 

970-554-1625 

Kansas 

3. Shane Burkhart 


WaKeeney, KS 

785-259-4870 

4. Don Pope 


Hays, KS 

785-259-7680 

5. Caleb McNally 


Quenemo, KS 

620-794-2122 

22. 

Sturgis 

23. 

New Effington 

24. 

Warner 

25. 26. 

Redfield Watertown 

6. Brian Nickel 


Hillsboro, KS 

620-266-6336 

7. John Watts 


Council Grove, KS 

620-794-3731 

Montana 

8. Mick Miller 


Fairfield, MT 

406-217-2294 

9. Curt Droogsma 


Billings, MT 

406-860-1330 

Nebraska 

10. Anthony Finke 


Kearney, NE 

308-529-3011 

27. 

Parkston 

1. 

Lakewood 

2. 

Otis 

11. 

Sutherland 

3. 

WaKeeney 

10. 

Kearney 

4. 

Hays 

6. 

Hillsboro 

7. 5. 

Council Grove Quenemo 

11. Brad Krajewski 


Sutherland, NE 

308-520-4520 

16. Allen St. Michel 


Jamestown, ND 

701-320-1758 

North Dakota 

12. Dan Melaas 


Anamoose, ND 

701-650-8446 

17. Cal Ihry 


Grand Forks, ND 

218-791-3525 

13. Ed Nesheim 


Devils Lake, ND 

701-866-1278 

18. Ken Ruhland 


West Fargo, ND 

701-238-3994 

Oklahoma 

14. Aaron Franklund 


Bismarck, ND 

701-220-9355 

19. Gregory Birdwell 


Yukon, OK 

580-331-7948 

15. Russ Pelton 


Bismarck, ND 

701-471-6893 

20. Justin Stejskal 


Stillwater, OK 

405-747-4415 

20. 

19. Stillwater 

Yukon 

21. 

Prague 

21. James Thompson 


Prague, OK 

918-576-8577 

South Dakota 

22. Matt Dybedahl 


Sturgis, SD 

605-310-2032 

23. Jared O’Malley 


New Effington, SD 

605-228-5138 

24. Michelle Wasland 


Warner, SD 

605-380-1610 

25. Josh Schieffer 


Redfield, SD 

701-230-8292 

31. 

Amarillo 

30. 

Plainview 

28. 

Bellevue 

32. 

Powderly 

26. Chris Redfield 


Watertown, SD 

605-520-4737 

27. Leander Schieffer 


Parkston, SD 

605-770-1330 

Texas 

28. Ross Cantrell 


Bellevue, TX 

940-636-0423 

29. Chris Hargrove 


Clifton, TX 

254-722-1255 

30. Jonathon Folsom 


Plainview, TX 

806-638-4198 

29. 

Clifton 

31. Audie Wolf 


Amarillo, TX 

806-567-0324 

32. Kevin Hahn 


Powderly, TX 

361-935-5386 

Washington 

33. Denise Race 


Kennewick, WA 

509-551-5198 

34. Nathan Clemens 


Spokane Valley, WA 

509-570-8696 



35. Beau Blachly 


Pomeroy, WA 

509-843-7334 

2 

3

NOTES FROM MARK TORNO 

Mark Torno, Diverse Field Crops Marketing Manager Wheat, Canola, Sunflower 

5 STEPS TO GROWING A SUCCESSFUL WHEAT CROP 8 

ARTICLES 

Your CROPLAN ® Seed Team 3 

Notes from Mark Torno 5 

LAND O’ LAKES ® Recipe 6 

WinField ® Ascend ® PGR 7 

CROPLAN ® Wheat Advantage R7 ® 11 

Management 

Winter Canola/Wheat Rotation 12 

Budget Sheet 


4 

15 

MANAGING WINTER 

CANOLA TO OPTIMIZE 

YOUR NEXT WHEAT CROP 

22 

2015 YIELD REPORT - 

SPRING CANOLA 

18 

R7 ® HIGH 

MANAGEMENT WHEAT 

27 

MAXIMIZE PROFIT 

POTENTIAL WITH 

VARIABLE RATE FERTILITY 

APPLICATIONS 

Example Crop Budget Sheet 14 

Select the Right Sunflower Seed and 24 

Crop Protection Products to Manage 

Against Yield-limiting Factors 

Customer Testimonial 29 

Spring Canola: Purchasing 30 

a Portfolio 

We always welcome feedback and we would 

love to hear from you. Please send comments to: 

mtorno@landolakes.com — 701-897-1484 

winfield.com 

croplan.com 

Please send address changes, subscription 

requests and/or requests to be removed from 

this mailing to: 

Winfield Solutions, LLC 

P.O. Box 64281 

St. Paul, MN 55164 

Follow us: 

Facebook - facebook.com/WinFieldInsight 

Twitter - @WinFieldInsight 

WINFIELD IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL SEED AND CROP PROTECTION COMPANY. 

Most large seed manufacturers don’t focus on crops 

like wheat, canola, sunflowers or alfalfa. But as a 

cooperative, our top objective is to help our farmers bring 

value to all of their acres – not just corn and soybeans. 

One particular area where we’ve been making significant 

strides over the past couple of years is wheat. As you’ve 

seen in recent issues of Beyond Seed, spring wheat is 

a stimulating new addition to our seed portfolio. This is 

an exciting time for WinField and the wheat industry as 

a whole because of the massive opportunity that exists 

to improve the crop. Although this will sound cliché, 

we really are at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to 

making advancements that can drive better wheat yield 

potential and can enhance overall quality. 

Thanks to people like our agronomists on the local level, 

our Answer Plot ® Research Teams, our team of technical 

experts and everyone else in between, we’re making a lot 

of small discoveries that can add up to a lot of bushels 

in the future. The opportunity to improve yield potential 

has physically been in the plant all along. Since wheat 

is a grass plant just like corn, many new innovations 

parallel the advancements that helped corn yields grow 

from an average of around 30 bu/A in the 1940s to more 

than 150 bu/A today. 

Our dedication to improving wheat yields isn’t just 

something we’re focusing on internally. We’re also 

supporting a major nationwide wheat competition. For 

the first time since 1994, the National Wheat Foundation 

will hold its National Wheat Yield Contest and WinField is 

proud to join John Deere, Monsanto and BASF as industry 

partners. This contest is sure to bring out the best in 

farmers and set the stage for the industry as a whole to 

compare best practices and turn data into usable insights 

that will help establish a new standard of excellence in 

wheat production. 

Regardless of the crops you’re planting next year, don’t 

pass up on the chance to tap into your local WinField 

retailer’s expertise when selecting the varieties for 

your acres in the coming weeks. Also, keep an eye 

on answerplot.com to incorporate insights from 2015 

Answer Plot ® yield data into your selection process. 


5

WINFIELD ® ASCEND ® PGR 

BUILDING A BIGGER ENGINE FOR 

CROPLAN ® WHEAT YIELD POTENTIAL 

Jeff Doll, WinField Seed Treatments Marketing Manager 


6 

LAND O’ LAKES® RECIPE: CARAMEL APPLE OATMEAL COOKIES 

Preparation time: 15 minutes Total time: 55 minutes Serves: 48 cookies 

INGREDIENTS: 

1¾ cups all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

½ teaspoon salt 

½ teaspoon apple pie spice 

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar 

DIRECTIONS: 

Heat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside. 

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and apple pie spice in bowl; set aside. 

Combine brown sugar and butter in another bowl; beat until well mixed. Add applesauce, egg and vanilla; beat, 

scraping sides of bowl occasionally, until well mixed. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed until just combined. Stir 

in oats, caramel bits and dried apples. 

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until 

edges are lightly browned. Let stand 3 minutes on cookie sheet; remove to cooling rack. 

*Substitute ½ cup butterscotch chips. 

NUTRITION FACTS (1 cookie) 

Calories 120 

Fat 5 g 

Cholesterol 15 mg 

Sodium 90 mg 

Carbohydrate 18 g 

1 cup Land O’ Lakes ® Butter, softened 

¼ cup applesauce 

1 Land O’ Lakes ® Egg 

2 teaspoons vanilla 

Protein 1 g 

Dietary Fiber 1 g 

2½ cups uncooked 

old-fashioned oats 

½ cup caramel bits* 

½ cup finely chopped dried 

apple rings 

16437 ©2015 LAND O’ LAKES ® , Inc. 

Like any crop, emergence is a sensitive time for wheat 

because it’s when the plant is most vulnerable. If 

seedlings aren’t strong enough to overcome challenges 

like cool soils, disease stress or insect feeding, poor 

establishment and uneven stands will keep your crop from 

reaching its optimum yield potential. Fortunately, Ascend ® 

Plant Growth Regulator (PGR) seed treatment by WinField 

can help provide the early season vigor and increased root 

mass to start your crop off right. 

Treating wheat seed with WinField ® Ascend ® PGR can 

improve stand uniformity, help build big roots for optimal 

nutrient uptake and optimize overall yield potential. 

Ascend ® PGR seed treatments have helped increase 

wheat yields by 5 to 12 bu/acre vs. untreated stands in 

farm trials when compared to not using it. 1 

Ascend ® PGR can be applied via foliar treatment, but 

applying it as a seed treatment is the suggested method 

when treating wheat because coating the seed can 

improve early root development and vegetative plant 

biomass accumulation. 

Ascend ® PGR contains an optimal combination of three 

EPA registered plant growth regulators that can result in 

vigorous early plant germination and emergence, a robust 

root system, large leaves and wide stems – all offering you 

a potentially significant jump on the growing season. 

Those ingredients are: 

• Cytokinin: a natural plant growth regulator that 

promotes cell division and leaf expansion while 

slowing leaf aging. 

• Gibberellic acids: naturally occurring plant growth 

regulators that stimulate cell division and elongation 

in leaves and stems. 

• Indolebutyric acid: a plant growth regulator that 

stimulates vigorous root formation and development, 

and increases cell elongation. 

Ascend ® PGR can also be teamed with WinField ® 

Warden ® Cereals WR II seed treatment, which can help 

protect young roots from disease and insects, setting the 

stage for high yield potential wheat. An added benefit is 

that Warden ® Cereals WR II seed treatment doesn’t have 

the dust-off that you have with some other products. 

Because it can be such a valuable combination, Warden ® 

Cereals WR II seed treatment and Ascend ® PGR are 

available individually and premixed in a keg. 

We’re always looking to give producers access to the best 

crop inputs available for their fields, so we constantly 

evaluate new traits, micronutrients and crop protection 

products through our extensive Answer Plot ® research 

program. One product we’re conducting trials on right 

now – Take Off ® ST seed treatment by Verdesian Life 

Sciences – may potentially have synergistic benefits when 

combined with Ascend ® PGR. 

Data from Verdesian 2 shows Take Off ® ST can help 

seedlings emerge as much as four days earlier than 

untreated seeds, with more shoot and root biomass. By 

focusing on germination, emergence and establishment, 

the increased vigor offered by Take Off ® ST can: 

• Reduce risk from exposure to soil borne diseases 

• Improve nutrient uptake and utilization by young 

plants 

• Provide a dark green plant 

• Result in more robust tillering, more heads and tall 

plants later in the season – all of which contributes 

to enhanced yield potential 

In addition to wheat, Verdesian data3 shows Take Off ® has 

performed well on a number of other crops including corn 

and soybeans. Verdesian is also researching its value as a 

seed treatment in canola. Provided Take Off ® ST performs 

well in our Answer Plot ® trials, you can expect to hear 

more about it in future issues of Beyond Seed. 

In the meantime, contact your local WinField retailer to 

learn more about treating your CROPLAN ® wheat with 

Ascend ® PGR and Warden ® Cereals WR II seed treatment. 

1 Data collected from side-by-side farm trials in Wisconsin, North Dakota and Kansas in 2011 

and 2012. 

2 Verdesian Life Sciences growth chamber (2014), Leawood, Kansas. 21 DAP. 

3 Verdesian Life Sciences “Take Off ® : Technology that works from the inside out” tech sheet. 

Take Off ® is a registered trademark of Verdesian Life Sciences. 

Important: always read and follow label use directions. 


7

is consistent with little variability and another is 

inconsistent with tons of variability, it’s likely that you 

won’t want to plant the same variety on both fields. Yes, 

this might require more product selection and managing 

separate varieties. But, this is what variety selection is all 

about. 

Not all varieties are the same, nor should they be 

managed the same. Through our extensive Answer 

Plot ® research, we have quickly identified CROPLAN ® 

brand wheat varieties that perform best under different 

management systems. Some wheat varieties like high 

plant populations and others do not. Some wheat 

varieties respond highly to additional nitrogen (N) 

applications, while others don’t. 

When dealing with wheat, seedbed preparation starts 

in the fall with the combine. Ensure your combine can 

evenly chop and spread the straw and chaff the full 

distance of your header. Residue management is a huge 

factor regardless of what you are planting, but it is even 

more critical in wheat. Whether you practice no-till, 

minimum tillage or under tillage management, it is vital 

that you do a good job preparing your seedbed prior to 

planting. 

Now that we’ve discussed residue management and 

seedbed preparation, let’s cover seed depth. Achieving 

proper seed depth is a practice that you have only one 

chance at. There is no going back once seed is in the 

ground, so doing it right the first time is key. 


8 

No matter what geographic area you live in, wheat 

management is crucial to successfully market your grain. 

There are basically two critical pieces of raising wheat; 

yield and protein. Depending on the type of wheat you 

are producing and your marketing strategy, protein can 

be either helpful 

or a hindrance. 

Regardless of marketing strategy or current yields, there 

are several wheat management practices that you can 

integrate into your crop production plan next season that 

will help you optimize yield potential. Here are five of the 

top steps to producing 

a successful wheat crop. 

5 STEPS TO GROWING A 

SUCCESSFUL WHEAT CROP 

Bob Bohl, WinField Technical Seed Manager 

STEP 1 

KNOW YOUR FIELDS 

The first step to a successful 

wheat harvest starts with 

proper planning, which means some homework will be 

required. Begin by determining if you’re reaching the 

optimum yield potential on your farm. If not, what can 

you do to help improve your overall yield? To figure this 

out, you need to know each field’s soil type and optimum 

yield potential. Yes, I said each field. Due to factors 

like soil type, drainage and fertility levels, not all fields 

should be managed the same. Utilizing the WinField ® 

R7 ® Tool can help you improve yield potential and 

maximize your return on investment (ROI) by identifying 

the challenges your fields present. 

STEP 2 

SELECT THE RIGHT VARIETY 

After defining your soil 

type and yield potential, 

the next step is to select a 

wheat variety. If one field 

So, how can you figure out which wheat varieties and 

management systems will align best with your fields’ 

yield potential? Fortunately, WinField and your local 

cooperative provide significant value when it comes to 

assisting with variety selection. At WinField, we spend 

millions of dollars developing CROPLAN ® brand seed 

and researching our partnered products. We test each of 

our wheat varieties under replicated trials, assessing how 

each variety responds to population, N and fungicides. 

We replicate this research over several states and compile 

the data for accurate and consistent measurements. 

Once compiled, this data can be brought to a grower’s 

farm with a management strategy in mind. If you plant 

CROPLAN ® brand wheat seed, gone are the days when 

you would select a new product and run tests over 5 to 

8 years to determine the optimum population, fertility 

needs and yield potential on your farm. Thanks to our 

Answer Plot ® program, WinField can quickly bring new 

products to the farm gate and minimize a farmer’s risk 

by having replicated data on each variety. WinField 

believes this is the future of wheat, as more and more 

advancements will improve wheat production. 

STEP 3 

PREPARE YOUR SEEDBED 

AND PRACTICE THE RIGHT 

SEEDING METHODS 

It might sound basic, but 

proper seedbed preparation 

and planting practices are 

some of the most overlooked management factors 

in every crop grown in the United States. They are 

incredibly important, yet often forgotten. 

There is a lot of variance when asking wheat producers 

what their preferred seed depth is. Some like to seed to 

moisture regardless of depth, while others like to keep 

shallow in hopes of an earlier emergence. Rain can cover 

up mistakes in a lot of crops, but we recommend a seed 

depth of about 1.5 inches in wheat. 

Some people might disagree with this depth, but our 

recommendation is based on two critical factors: root 

structure development and consistent soil temperature. 

With proper seed depth, wheat seed germination will 

be consistent, especially with spring planting. Northern 

climates seem to have more soil temperature changes, 

but all geographies can have fluctuating soil temps. 

When seeded shallow, the wheat seed is more prone 

to erratic soil temperature changes, which can create 

inconsistent germination and stand establishment. If 

wheat is seeded deeper, then soil temperatures will take 

longer to warm up to begin the germination process. This 

can delay emergence, resulting in potential yield loss. 

Proper root structure development is very important in 

nutrient uptake and overall yield potential. Early on, 

the root of the plant has one job: finding moisture. The 

root supplies the plant with water, which is necessary 

for photosynthesis. As the root uptakes water, N is also 

taken up through a process called mass flow. As the root 

grows in the soil profile, the plant is able to intercept 

nutrients like phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). P is a 

critical nutrient early in the plant’s life cycle, while K is a 

critical nutrient needed later in the season during kernel 

development. 

Seed placement needs to be accurate and consistent. 

Just as the combine is a major contributing factor in 

residue management and seedbed preparation, the drill 

is a key factor in achieving desired seed depth. When 


9


10 

planning for next year’s bumper crop, remember to 

maintain your seed openers and discs to ensure proper 

seeding speed and placement. 

STEP 4 

CHECK LIVE STAND COUNTS 

The final piece of wheat stand 

establishment consists of 

returning to your fields after 

emergence to verify live stand 

counts. This is something 

many farmers forget to do. When you do this, make sure 

you know the seeding rate you planted at. As mentioned 

earlier, different wheat varieties require different 

populations to reach optimum yield potential. 

Once you have determined your seeding rate, make 

sure you are calculating for mortality loss according to 

the germination test. When you buy quality seed like 

CROPLAN ® brand wheat, germination tests are done per 

lot number, per variety. This is critical for knowing how 

many seeds will or will not germinate. 

For example, if your CROPLAN ® wheat variety had a 95 

percent germination rate and your target population was 

1.2 million seeds per acre (27 plants per square foot), 

you need to add five percent more for a seeding rate of 

1.26 million seeds per acre. This only calculates for a 

mortality rate due to germination loss – not any other 

factors in the environment that might increase the death 

rate in your stand. 

This is why coming back after emergence and conducting 

live stand counts is so important. There are ways to save 

money and minimize death loss due to the environment, 

such as using a good seed treatment like WinField ® 

Warden ® Cereals WR II and Ascend ® seed treatment. We 

continue to see higher stand counts when a good seed 

treatment program is used, regardless of early or later 

seeding dates. 

STEP 5 

IN-SEASON CROP 

MANAGEMENT 

Once you’ve established your 

stand, it’s time to manage the 

crop. Whether you apply all 

of your fertility up front at the 

time of seeding or split fertilizer applications throughout 

the growing season, in-season management is a critical 

step in optimizing yield potential and producing optimum 

wheat quality. The R7 ® Tool by WinField is an excellent 

management instrument for achieving those goals. From 

variable rate prescriptions to using in-season imagery to 

measure plant biomass, the R7 ® Tool can quickly benefit 

your bottom line. 

It’s also important to closely manage fertility throughout 

the growing season. With the help of their local 

agronomist, most farmers put together a fertility package 

for a specific yield goal per market strategy. Some 

apply a higher rate of N in hopes of maximizing grain 

protein, while others might focus heavily on yields and 

not care about protein. But what happens to your fertility 

placement after heavy rainfalls of more than one to two 

inches per event? What happens to your fertility? Is it 

still there and accessible by the plant? 

This is where having tissue samples evaluated by 

NutriSolutions ® tissue analysis can really complement 

your overall strategy. A tissue test can give you a 

snapshot of what nutrients are available to the plant 

at the time the sample is taken. This test can help you 

improve accuracy when making management decisions. 

Keep in mind that wheat takes up 50 percent of its N 

needs by mid-tillering. Head length within the wheat 

plant is already determined around Feekes Stage Three, 

while the number of kernels per spikelet is determined 

at late jointing, or Feekes Stages Five to Six. Final grain 

fill and development takes place by Feekes Stage Eight 

– the flag leaf. The key is to keep the flag leaf healthy as 

long as possible and provide the plant with the water and 

nutrients it needs. That’s why it’s critical to submit tissue 

samples for NutriSolutions ® tissue analysis during these 

stages so you can make management decisions in time to 

influence yield potential. 

In-season crop scouting is a key practice for optimum 

wheat management. How else can you determine what 

impact weeds, diseases, insects and other environmental 

factors might have on your yield potential? 

Timely in-season applications with the correct, 

prescribed labeled rates are very important. And there’s 

no cookie cutter approach you can take since each 

field can encounter different weed, insect and disease 

pressures. That’s why it’s so important to consult your 

local agronomist and WinField representative. They will 

provide you with localized data and customized expertise 

that can help you achieve your optimum wheat goal. For 

more assistance in fine-tuning your wheat management 

plan, give them a call. 

CROPLAN ® WHEAT ADVANTAGE R7 ® MANAGEMENT 

93% OF LOCATIONS SHOWED A POSITIVE RESPONSE 

(BU/ACRE) 

35.0 

30.0 

25.0 

20.0 

15.0 

10.0 

5.0 

0.0 

-5.0 

-10.0 

-15.0 

Range of response: -8.6 to 33.7 bu/A 

22 Answer Plot ® Locations locations in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota / 2013, 2014, 

2015 Answer Plot ® Data 

R7 ® high management (CROPLAN ® products 3361, 3419, 3504, 3530 with high nitrogen and population, treated with Warden ® Cereals WR II + Ascend plant growth regulator + 

Fungicide applied at flag leaf) 

Public varieties (Faller and RB07) at standard management (low nitrogen and population alone) 

WHEAT 

RESPONSE 

TO R7 ® 

HIGH 

MANAGEMENT 

2014-2015 

ANSWER PLOT ® 

+11.3% Bushel average response vs. Public 

+1.1% Protein average response vs. Public 

Yield (bu/A) 

CROPLAN ® 

Wheat Variety 

R7 ® high management (high nitrogen and population, treated with Warden ® Cereals WR II + Ascend ® plant 

growth regulator 

Public varieties (Faller and RB07) at standard management (low nitrogen and population alone) 

86 

84 

82 

80 

78 

84.3 

81.5 

81.1 

80.9 

Public 

Wheat Variety 

R7 ® High 

Management 

Standard 

Management 


11

WINTER CANOLA/WHEAT ROTATION 

BUDGET SHEET* 

3 Year Total 

Matt’s Farm Bill’s Farm 

Matt’s Farm 

Year 1 Year 2 

Year 3 

Year 1 

Bill’s Farm 

Year 2 

Year 3 

Wheat 

Wheat 

Canola VS. on Wheat Canola Wheat Canola 

Wheat Canola 

Wheat on Wheat on Wheat on 

INCOME 

Rotation 

Wheat 

GENNRR 

GENNRR 

GENNRR 

Wheat Wheat Wheat 

Yield — 

— 

45 

35 

45 

35 

45 

35 

37 

37 

37 

Price* — 

— 

$4.33 $6.35 $4.33 $6.35 

$4.33 $6.35 

$3.58 $3.58 $3.58 

Income per Acre $612.50 $397.38 $194.85 $222.25 $194.85 $222.25 

$194.85 $222.25 

$132.46 $132.46 $132.46 

ESTIMATED EXPENSES* 

VARIABLE COSTS 

Seed 

Seed $41.79 

$20.74 $6.91 $27.55 $6.91 $27.55 

$6.91 $27.55 

$6.91 $6.91 $6.91 

Seed Treat/Inoculant $2.46 

$21.71 $7.24 in bag $7.24 in bag 

$7.24 in bag 

$7.24 $7.24 $7.24 

Crop Protection Products 

Tech Fee 

Chemicals 

Fertilizers 

Fertilizer 

— 

$69.78 

$134.79 

— 

$85.20 

$101.17 

— 

$28.40 

$43.90 

in bag 

$13.28 

$46.93 

— 

$28.40 

$43.90 

in bag 

$13.28 

$46.93 

— 

$28.40 

$43.90 

in bag 

$13.28 

$46.93 

— 

$28.40 

$33.72 

— 

$28.40 

$33.72 

— 

$28.40 

$33.72 

Field Operations 

Fuel & Lubrication $25.50 

$25.50 $8.50 $8.50 $8.50 $8.50 

$8.50 $8.50 

$8.50 $8.50 $8.50 

Repairs $18.00 

$18.00 $6.00 $6.00 $6.00 $6.00 

$6.00 $6.00 

$6.00 $6.00 $6.00 

Custom Other $24.00 

$24.00 $8.00 $8.00 $8.00 $8.00 

$8.00 $8.00 

$8.00 $8.00 $8.00 

Custom Swathing $12.24 

— 

— $12.00 — $12.00 

— $12.00 

— 

— 

— 

Custom Harvesting $75.00 

$75.00 $25.00 $25.00 $25.00 $25.00 

$25.00 $25.00 

$25.00 $25.00 $25.00 

Misc. Variable Costs 

Crop Insurance $29.53 

$23.10 $7.70 $14.00 $7.70 $14.00 

$7.70 $14.00 

$7.70 $7.70 $7.70 

Operating Interest $17.80 

$15.78 $5.67 $6.45 $5.67 $6.45 

$5.67 $6.45 

$5.26 $5.26 $5.26 

FIXED COSTS 

Machinery $45.00 

$45.00 $15.00 $15.00 $15.00 $15.00 

$15.00 $15.00 

$15.00 $15.00 $15.00 

Land Investment $165.00 

$165.00 $55.00 $55.00 $55.00 $55.00 

$55.00 $55.00 

$55.00 $55.00 $55.00 

Total Costs/Acre* $660.88 

$620.19 $217.31 $237.71 $217.31 $237.71 

$217.31 $237.71 

$206.73 $206.73 $206.73 

Net ROI/Acre -$48.38 

-$222.81 

-$22.46 

-$15.46 

-$22.46 

-$15.46 

-$22.46 

-$15.46 

-$74.27 

-$74.27 

-$74.27 

Break-even Yield — 

— 

50 

37.44 

50 

37.44 

50 

37.44 

58 

58 

58 


12 

Break-even Price — 

Above is an example of two growers, each having trouble producing their expected yields and battling troublesome winter grasses. 

Each have taken different approaches in producing marketable and profitable crops. 

* Pricing data based on the average of elevators in the Oklahoma region as of 10/12/15. 

* Expenses are estimates only and based on the average costs for the expenses listed in the Oklahoma region. 

Contact your local Seed & Agronomy Advisor for your own customizable version. Because of factors outside of Winfield control, results to be obtained, 

including but not limited to yields, financial performance, profits, losses, or otherwise, cannot be predicted or guaranteed by Winfield Solutions, LLC. 

Data provided is an example only. Actual results may vary. Winfield Solutions, LLC shal have no liability in connection with the performance of your operation. 

— 

$4.83 

$6.79 

$4.83 

$6.79 

$4.83 

$6.79 

$5.59 

$5.59 

$5.59 


13 

Winfield Solutions LLC, its affiliates and subsidiaries – and its agents and employees – are not authorized to make a representation of profitability, financial or sales performance in this or any related documents. 

Likewise, Winfield does not and cannot make or provide any estimates, representations or projections regarding sales, expenses or profits. This information represents estimates and projections based solely on 

assumptions made for illustration purposes. Winfield and its affiliates and subsidiaries – and its agents and employees disclaim any liability and responsibility in connection with those estimates and projections.

EXAMPLE CROP BUDGET SHEET* 

INCOME 

CROPLAN ® 

Wheat 

Public 

Wheat 

Winter 

Wheat 

Soybean Canola RR Canola LL 

Sunflower 

Express Sun 

Sunflower 

Clearfield 

Average Yield 59 50 65 38 20.50 19.50 18.50 18.50 120 

Price* $5.10 $4.52 $3.55 $7.83 $14.75 $14.75 $17.04 $17.04 $2.91 

Income/Acre $300.90 $226.00 $230.75 $297.54 $302.38 $287.63 $315.30 $315.30 $349.20 

ESTIMATED EXPENSES* 

VARIABLE COSTS 

Plus Rotational Value 

Seed 

Seed $23.96 $24.44 $19.10 $58.83 $51.66 $59.70 $34.87 $39.23 $92.81 

Seed Treat/Inoculant $12.66 $6.15 $8.59 $9.50 in bag in bag in bag in bag in bag 

Crop Protection Products 

Tech Fee — — — in bag in bag in bag in bag in bag in bag 

Chemicals $41.30 $36.20 $34.60 $61.11 $13.28 $30.80 $49.90 $52.75 $54.11 

Fertilizers 

Fertilizer $74.90 $52.21 $71.29 $16.50 $60.25 $57.01 $34.81 $34.81 $88.90 

Field Operations 

Fuel & Lubrication $13.50 $13.50 $13.50 $13.50 $13.50 $13.50 $15.00 $15.00 $22.00 

Repairs $16.00 $16.00 $16.00 $16.00 $16.00 $16.00 $17.00 $17.00 $23.00 

Drying — — — — — — $11.00 $11.00 $19.00 

Misc. Variable Costs 

Crop Insurance $11.00 $11.00 $11.00 $14.00 $15.00 $15.00 $18.00 $18.00 $31.00 

Operating Interest $7.73 $6.38 $7.12 $7.58 $6.79 $7.68 $7.22 $7.51 $13.56 

FIXED COSTS 

Machinery $39.00 $39.00 $39.00 $39.00 $39.00 $39.00 $44.00 $44.00 $61.00 

Land Investment $55.00 $55.00 $55.00 $55.00 $55.00 $55.00 $55.00 $55.00 $55.00 

Total Costs/Acre* $295.05 $259.88 $275.19 $291.01 $270.47 $293.69 $286.80 $294.30 $460.38 

Corn 

Now that farmers in the South have seeded their canola 

crop and stands have emerged, it’s time to employ the 

right management tactics so you can improve yield 

potential when rotating back to wheat. 

Canola has value as a cash crop, but as we’ve discussed 

in past issues of Beyond Seed, the longer term strategic 

value it provides when rotating with wheat can be an 

even bigger benefit. Planting canola breaks up the cycle 

of insects and disease that have been present for years 

in wheat-on-wheat fields, which means farmers have the 

opportunity to start fresh when they return with wheat 

a year or two later. Plus, canola’s large taproot helps 

increase water infiltration and improve the growth and 

soil penetration of subsequent crop roots. 

Even more importantly, switching to CROPLAN ® canola 

enables farmers to target the grassy weeds that often 

impact wheat yield potential and forage quality. This 

brings us to the first of three main things you should take 

away from this article – weed control. 

MANAGING WINTER CANOLA 

TO OPTIMIZE YOUR NEXT 

WHEAT CROP 

Dennis Christie, WinField Agronomist 

by making timely applications of WinField ® Cornerstone ® 

5 Plus herbicide. Then you can rotate back to wheat in a 

cleaner field the following year. 

Hopefully most winter canola farmers have already made 

their weed control treatments this fall, as herbicide 

applications should be made early after emergence. 

This helps you achieve good coverage before the crop 

develops a large canopy, which can shield weeds from 

herbicide applications. 

If you have yet to spray your crop, however, adding 

InterLock ® adjuvant by WinField to your treatment can 

improve canopy penetration. In fact, we recommend 

including InterLock ® adjuvant in all spray applications 

because it can also improve spray deposition on intended 

targets and keeps more of the spray droplets in the field 

in the right size to do the job. WinField ® Class Act ® NG ® 

adjuvant is another adjuvant to include in your tank 

because it improves uptake and speeds up herbicide 

movement for quicker performance and faster weed 

control. 


14 

Net ROI/Acre $5.85 -$33.88 -$44.44 $6.53 $31.90 -$6.07 $28.50 $21.00 -$111.18 

Break-even Yield 58 57 78 37 18.34 19.91 16.83 17.27 158 

Break-even Price $5.00 $5.20 $4.23 $7.66 $13.19 $15.06 $15.50 $15.91 $3.84 

* Pricing data based on the average of elevators in the North Central North Dakota region as of 10/12/15. 

* Expenses are estimates only and based on the average costs for the expenses listed in the North Central North Dakota region. 

Contact your local seed agronomy advisor for your own customized version. Because of factors outside of Winfield Solutions control, results to be obtained, including but not limited to yields, financial 

performance, profits, losses or otherwise, cannot be predicted or guaranteed by Winfield Solutions, LLC. 

Data provided is an example only. Actual results may vary. Winfield Solutions, LLC shall have no liability in connection with the performance of your operation. 

Winfield Solutions LLC, its affiliates and subsidiaries – and its agents and employees – are not authorized to make a representation of profitability, financial or sales performance in this or any related documents. Likewise, Winfield 

does not and cannot make or provide any estimates, representations or projections regarding sales, expenses or profits. This information represents estimates and projections based solely on assumptions made for illustration 

purposes. Winfield and its affiliates and subsidiaries – and its agents and employees disclaim any liability and responsibility in connection with those estimates and projections. 

ACHIEVE THE BEST WEED CONTROL POSSIBLE 

Competing weeds like Italian ryegrass, feral rye, rescue 

grass, wild oats and jointed goat grass are difficult to 

control in wheat. So, by taking advantage of the Genuity ® 

Roundup Ready ® trait in CROPLAN ® HyCLASS ® canola as 

a rotation on your farm, you can reduce weed competition 

To prevent weeds from returning in the spring, you 

should also make a second herbicide application prior 

to breaking winter dormancy or within a couple of weeks 

thereafter. We then advise coming back a couple of 

weeks later to provide your canola with the nutrients it 

needs to thrive, which is our second takeaway for this 

article. 


15

SUPPLY ADEQUATE NUTRIENT LEVELS 

Although fertility applications are obviously intended to 

help maximize canola yield potential, they also have an 

indirect impact on future wheat crops. By developing a 

thick canopy, your healthy canola stand makes it difficult 

for weeds to re-establish later in the season. 

The best way to determine what nutrients your crop 

needs is to have plant tissue samples evaluated by 

NutriSolutions ® tissue analysis when canola greens up 

after winter dormancy. Following the field-by-field fertility 

application recommendations made by NutriSolutions ® 

tissue analysis takes the guesswork out of identifying and 

rectifying nutrient deficiencies. 

Canola generally needs a minimum of 100 to 130 lbs. 

of nitrogen (N) and 30 lbs. of sulfur (S) to produce a 

2,000 lb. crop. Heavy spring rains can result in nutrient 

leaching, so it’s important to take action if this happens 

to your crop. Fields often show an impressive net return 

from a top-dressed application of S and N, while canola 

yield is often affected if no treatment is made. It is 

important to top-dress with S in the non-elemental 

sulfate form so rain can place the fertilizer into the root 

zone where uptake can correct the issue. 

Increased Uptake with MAX-IN ® Technology 

B +40% 

Fe +17.7% 

Zn +25.8% 

Mn +16.4% 

Cu +52% 

S +11.4 

P +5.7% 

K -1.7% 

vs. conventional sources and can provide the greatest 

return on inputs and time. 

Don’t forget – insecticides can be tank mixed with 

micronutrient applications, so it’s always a good idea to 

scout your field for pests when taking tissue samples. 

That way you can save time and money by making a 

one-pass treatment and that will help set up your crop 

for success come harvest, which is our third and final 

takeaway. 

HAVE A HARVEST PLAN IN PLACE AND LIMIT LOSSES 

Having a strategy to follow once the harvest season 

arrives in late May or early June is essential to realizing 

optimum canola yield potential, but it also helps position 

your fields for the future wheat crop. A timely harvest 

limits pod shattering, which in turn reduces the amount 

of volunteer canola that will sprout up in your wheat crop 

next year. 

The first step in achieving a well-timed harvest is taken 

at planting. By spreading the maturity of your canola 

crop across your acres, you ensure that it won’t all be 

ready to harvest at the same time. 

Then, when your crop is dormant during the winter, 

take the opportunity to review your harvest plan. A solid 

plan is key to execution. By preparing for different field 

conditions and weather scenarios at harvest, you’ll be 

ready for whatever Mother Nature throws at you. Canola 

harvest methods include: 

• Pushing: Considered by some farmers to be a faster 

and less expensive alternative to swathing, pushing 

consists of mounting a “pusher” on your tractor’s 

three point hitch and driving through the canola at 

5 to 10 mph to force uniform lodging. By pushing 

the canola over, it is less susceptible to wind and 

shatter losses because the pod layer is denser. After 

the crop naturally matures, it is direct combined in 

the opposite direction of the pusher. Harvest should 

be taken slower, however, because more stalk 

material enters the combine. 

When harvesting your crop, keep close tabs on your 

losses out the back of the combine. Approximately 115 

seeds per square foot on the ground equals a 1 bu/A loss. 

Review the operator’s manual for your combine and make 

sure you’re within the right settings for canola. If the 

combine isn’t adjusted properly, farmers can lose up to 

5 bu/A or more. 

If losses continue after making adjustments, check for 

holes and cracks on the pickup, feeder house, elevator, 

shoe seals, separator covers and the grain tank. 

Travel speed can also contribute to seed loss. Going too 

fast can overstretch the combine’s capacity, while going 

too slow can result in overgrinding straw to the point 

that tiny pieces fall into the sieves, reducing air flow and 

separation. Both of these mistakes can reduce profits and 

increase the amount of volunteer canola you need to deal 

with when rotating back to wheat. 

Incidentally, there are many good approaches that can be 

taken when removing volunteer canola from your wheat 

stands. We recommend consulting your local agronomist 

to determine the preferred method for your fields. 

Whichever you choose, confronting volunteer canola early 

will provide the best results. 

Once you’ve harvested your canola crop, continue to 

make the most of the rotation by performing soil tests 

across your fields to get a handle on your pH and fertility 

levels going into wheat. And remember, don’t just 

select last year’s yield winners when deciding which 

wheat varieties to plant after canola. You never know 

how growing conditions will change from one year to 

the next. So, work with your local WinField retailer to 

review Answer Plot ® yield data and your own harvest 

results from the past few years. Base your selections off 

of which wheat varieties performed best across a variety 

of conditions and manage your crop using the best 

management practices for that variety. 

• Direct combining: Also known as straight cutting, 

this method is growing in popularity. It’s most 

successful with a weed-free, uniform crop. This 

option isn’t for everyone, however, as it requires 

you to leave your crop in the field longer. This could 

expose your canola to wind damage, which can lead 

to increased shattering and seed loss. Poor weather 

or wet fields at maturity could delay harvest, 

allowing shattering to begin. 


16 

* Uptake by Alfalfa over micronutrient without Max-IN technology - Blevins 

NOTE: This table needs to be rebuilt. Remove the Origin & AgriSolutions 

logos and insert the WinField logo. OR, use a newer chart if one exists. 

Depending on the results of your NutriSolutions ® 

tissue analysis, an application of WinField ® MAX-IN ® 

Ultra ZMB ® or another product from the MAX-IN ® 

micronutrients line by WinField might also be prescribed. 

As the table above shows, MAX-IN ® patented technology 

allows greater uptake of nutrients through plant leaves 

• Swathing: This recommended practice consists of 

cutting down canola in windrows before it completely 

ripens, leaving the plants to ripen on the ground. 

Canola has reached its highest yield potential and is 

ready to swath when 60 percent of the seed exhibits 

a tiny brown or black spot on the mostly green seed. 

Swathing is normally a good way to manage against 

seed loss, although late season hail can damage 

pods and increase the risk of shattering. 


17

Since the nutrient uptake curve in wheat is very similar 

to corn, we weren’t surprised when we started seeing 

higher yields in high management trials vs. those in 

average management trials. We were surprised, however, 

at how good the results were. For example, “Chart A” 

below shows that a new, highly managed CROPLAN ® 

hard red spring wheat variety averaged 14.2 bu/A more 

than a public hard red spring wheat variety under 

standard management levels across seven different 

Answer Plot ® locations in the Northern Plains last year. 

(Note that the charts that accompany this article are 

specific to hard red spring wheat. However, we believe 

that the same overall management concepts discussed 

here will apply to winter wheat, as well.) 


18 

R7 ® HIGH MANAGEMENT 

WHEAT 

WINFIELD LEADS THE CHARGE IN CONQUERING 

THE “FINAL FRONTIER” 

Ryan Moeller, WinField Technical Seed Manager 

Wheat has long been viewed as the “final frontier” crop 

when it comes to improving seed genetics and maximizing 

yield potential. While the seed industry has focused 

most of its research and development (R&D) dollars on 

corn and soybeans over the past 30 years, wheat farmers 

were forced to make do with stagnant yields – yields that 

improved by only about 10 bu/A over the same time frame 

that corn producers enjoyed yield improvements of 40 

bu/A. 

But thanks to the R7 ® high management wheat research 

that WinField has performed in recent years, the seed 

industry is taking notice and that R&D focus is finally 

starting to shift. As a result, an influx of farmers in the 

Northern Plains are looking to plant CROPLAN ® brand 

wheat seed in 2016. 

DIVERSE VARIETIES TAILORED FOR YOUR ACRES 

What WinField brings to the table with its CROPLAN ® 

wheat seed lineup are varieties that are tailored for your 

acres and the challenges that come with them. Although 

we’re confident that our seed quality exceeds what is 

offered in the public lines, the real benefit comes from 

our seed treatments and R7 ® high yield management 

recommendations, which are derived from hundreds 

of replicated trials and thousands of data points in the 

Northern Plains. This enables WinField retailers and 

agronomists to accurately recommend the best varieties 

and right steps to take to maximize yield potential while 

retaining favorable grain protein levels. This added value 

is something farm dealers and seed cleaners can’t match 

with their seed inventory. 

Farmers in the South and East have had a number of 

CROPLAN ® brand soft red winter wheat varieties to choose 

from for a while now. But until recently, the lack of wheat 

R&D from seed manufacturers has left farmers in the 

Northern Plains to rely on university research, which has 

centered on breeding seed and identifying average wheat 

farming techniques for average environments in the Red 

River Valley. But as the WinField R7 ® Tool illustrates, soil 

types and agronomic conditions can greatly differ from 

field-to-field, meaning the seed type and management 

levels that work well in one field might not work well in 

the next. 

And, in their focus to provide average wheat management 

practices, universities haven’t had the resources to 

research aggressive management tactics. This is where 

WinField has distanced itself from its competitors in 

the corn industry. Also, since wheat and corn are both 

grass plants, our agronomy and R&D experts identified a 

substantial opportunity to parlay our high management 

corn research into wheat. 

With the infrastructure in place through our Answer Plot ® 

program, we knew the right protocols to use. This allowed 

us to study hard red spring wheat in small test plots in the 

Northern Plains and compress the research process into 

a much shorter time frame. We started setting up wheat 

trials about four years ago and managed them much 

like corn. Here we’ve focused on areas like Response 

to Population (RTP), Response to Nitrogen (RTN), seed 

treatments and Response to Fungicides (RTF). 

RTP AND RTN FINDINGS 

We’ve tirelessly tested each of our hard red spring wheat 

varieties at different populations and different nitrogen 

(N) application levels to determine which management 

levels provide the best response. 

Yield (bu/A) 

86 

84 

82 

80 

78 

76 

74 

72 

70 

CHART A 

MANAGEMENT AND YIELD COMPARISON: 

NEW CROPLAN ® SPRING WHEAT VARIETY 

VS. PUBLIC WHEAT VARIETY 

2014 Answer Plot ® data/7 locations 

84.4 

CROPLAN ® 

Wheat Variety 

70.2 

Public 

Wheat Variety 2 

© 2015 Winfield Solutions, LLC 

Source: Winfield Solutions data. 

Winfield Solutions, LLC is a Land O’Lakes Company. All products, company names, brand names, trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. 

It’s important to note that each wheat variety responds 

differently to high management practices. Therefore, 

you can’t expect every variety to yield the same positive 

response. In fact, we’ve found through our R7 ® high 

management research that some wheat varieties actually 

perform better under lower populations and/or reduced N 

rates. That’s why farmers in the Northern Plains will find 

so much value in WinField’s proprietary research when 

they plant CROPLAN ® brand wheat. 

For instance, “Chart B” above shows that a highly 

managed CROPLAN ® hard red spring wheat variety 

averaged 7.7 bu/A more than a highly managed public 

variety across seven different Answer Plot ® locations in 

the Northern Plains in 2014. In this case, however, only 

the CROPLAN ® wheat variety with high management 

® 

R7 ® HIGH MANAGEMENT FOR WHEAT 

Yield (bu/A) 

90 

88 

86 

84 

82 

80 

78 

76 

74 

CHART B 

WHEAT RESPONSE TO R7 ® 

HIGH MANAGEMENT 

2014 Answer Plot ® data/7 locations 

89.1 

82.5 

CROPLAN ® 

Wheat Variety 

81.4 

80.8 

Public 

Wheat Variety 2 

1. R7 ® high management (high nitrogen and population; treated with Warden ® Cereals WR + Ascend ® plant growth regulator) 

2. Public varieties (Barlow, Faller, Glen and RB07) 

R7 ® High 

Management 1 

Standard 

Management 

LSD = 2.55 bu/A 

levels saw a significant yield response of 6.6 bu/A over 

the same variety at standard management practices. 

The highly managed public variety only yielded 0.6 bu/A 

more than the same variety under standard management 

practices, which means in this case, the additional high 

management input cost didn’t justify the results. 

So where do CROPLAN ® hard red spring wheat varieties 

land in terms of RTP and RTN? “Chart C” on the next 

page shows that CROPLAN ® HRS 3419 excels at high 

populations and high N levels, while CROPLAN ® HRS 

3530 does better at low populations and moderate N 

levels. CROPLAN ® HRS 3378 performs best at high 

populations and moderate N, while CROPLAN ® HRS 

3361 needs low populations and high N management. 


19


20 

NUTRIENTS & SEED TREATMENTS 

While the focus has always been on N, we’ve found 

through several years of NutriSolutions ® tissue analysis 

results that wheat also needs adequate levels of 

potassium (K) in order for the plant to take up other 

nutrients and transport them throughout the plant. So 

if your wheat crop is short on potassium, it’s likely to 

experience standability problems and be more prone to 

disease. 

Zinc, manganese, boron, copper and sulfur are also 

important in wheat, and the right application of products 

like WinField ® MAX-IN ® Ultra ZMB ® , MAX-IN ® Copper 

and MAX-IN ® Sulfur can help rectify deficiencies of 

those respective micronutrients. 

Another factor that has contributed to maximizing yield 

potential in the R7 ® high management scenario are 

the right seed treatments. All CROPLAN ® wheat seed 

varieties are recommended to be locally treated with 

WinField ® Warden ® Cereals WR II seed treatment, which 

is designed to help protect young roots from disease and 

insects. 

Warden ® Cereals WR II seed treatment contains four 

fungicides - Sedaxane, Fludioxonil, Mefenoxam and 

Difenoconazole. This combination provides great broad 

spectrum protection. The Fludioxonil adds efficacy 

® 

HRS WHEAT R7 ® HIGH 

MANAGEMENT RTP AND RTN 

CHART C 

RESPONSE TO NITROGEN/ 

RESPONSE TO POPULATION 

RELATIONSHIPS 1 

1. Results may vary. Because of factors outside of Winfield Solutions’ control, such as weather, product application and any other 

factors, results to be obtained, including but not limited to yields, financial performance, profits, losses or otherwise, cannot be 

predicted or guaranteed by Winfield Solutions, LLC. 

Source: Six Answer Plot ® locations tested in 2012 and seven Answer Plot ® locations tested in 2013. 

© 2015 Winfield Solutions, LLC 

Source: Winfield Solutions data. 

Winfield Solutions, LLC is a Land O’Lakes Company. All products, company names, brand names, trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. 

for seedborne Fusarium. Increased rate of Sedaxane 

increases efficacy for smut control while extending the 

control of post emergent damping off. Warden ® Cereals 

WR II also contains Thiamethoxam at twice the normal 

rate for wireworm control, and it mixes easily with 

WinField ® Ascend ® plant growth regulator (PGR). 

Speaking of Ascend ® PGR, it is recommended to apply 

as a seed treatment along with Warden ® Cereals WR II 

seed treatment on CROPLAN ® hard red spring wheat 

seed varieties. Answer Plot ® research in the Northern 

Plains has shown that Ascend ® PG can promote fast, and 

uniform emergence, and can maximize plant growth and 

development. This is because it contains optimal ratios 

of three plant growth regulator compounds: 

• Cytokinin (as Kinetin): a plant hormone well known 

for its growth-promoting and anti-aging effects in 

plants. 

• Gibberellic Acid (GA): naturally occurring plant 

growth regulators that induce germination, promote 

earlier emergence and stimulate cell division and 

elongation in leaves and stems. 

• Indole-3-Butyric Acid (IBA): stimulates root 

formation and development and increases cell 

elongation. 

RTF AT FLAG LEAF 

Another component of our R7 ® high management 

research has been testing fungicides on all major 

wheat varieties. While farmers traditionally tank mix a 

fungicide when applying herbicides and then come back 

with another fungicide application at flowering, we’ve 

observed noticeable differences in response by variety 

from fungicides applied at flag leaf in our Answer Plot ® 

trials. 

We believe these positive responses (or lack of) don’t 

always relate back to disease prevention, but may also 

help to increase efficiencies within the plant. 

DON’T FORGET THE BASICS 

Planting the right high quality CROPLAN ® brand wheat 

varieties on your acres and integrating the right practices 

from WinField’s R7 ® high management research can go a 

long way in improving your yield potential next year, but 

it’s all for naught if you don’t continue to practice the 

right planting techniques. 

This begins with suitable seedbed preparation and 

having a good understanding of residue management. 

Good seed-to-soil contact is essential, as is planting into 

soils with ideal temperatures and adequate moisture 

levels. 

The right planting depth is also critical; we advise 

targeting a depth of 1.5 inches. Planting too shallow 

can reduce stand, delay germination, cause uneven 

emergence and inhibit root development, which can 

cause problems with moisture and nutrient uptake and 

lead to standability issues later in the season. 

Although soil uniformity (temperature, moisture and 

composition) improves the deeper you go, the seedling 

will need to use too much energy to emerge if you seed 

much deeper than 1.5 inches. This also may lead to 

poor emergence and uneven stands. 

Uniform emergence is key because it enables the crop 

to develop uniformly across the field. Since the flowering 

stage is when you need to spray to prevent head scab, 

you want your entire field to flower at the same time 

so you can get the most value out of that fungicide 

application. 

GOING FORWARD 

In addition to helping farmers make the right use of 

their crop input dollars when planting CROPLAN ® brand 

wheat, WinField’s R7 ® high management research also 

eliminates the time farmers need to spend on trial and 

error. In the past, wheat farmers traditionally spent 

an average of two to three years testing different seed 

varieties on their fields to find out what worked best. 

But with CROPLAN ® brand wheat, they’ll now have an 

excellent understanding of product placement in the first 

year. 

Considering that wheat farmers in the Northern Plains 

have rarely paid for seed because they save and 

plant seed from the previous year’s crop, one might 

assume that they’re balking at the cost of having to 

buy CROPLAN ® wheat seed every year. However, the 

feedback I’ve received at this year’s Answer Plot ® 

sessions has been nothing but positive. People have 

been blown away because our replicated data shows 

there’s a real opportunity to enhance protein content, 

increase yield potential and ultimately improve profit 

potential by planting CROPLAN ® hard red spring wheat 

and utilizing our R7 ® high management system. 

So what’s coming next to wheat? WinField will continue 

to raise the bar by sourcing new genetics from around 

the world for Answer Plot ® testing, which is improving 

in itself. This year, each Answer Plot ® location has been 

equipped with John Deere Field Connect weather 

stations. Though not an official collaboration with 

John Deere, WinField uses the equipment to collect 

soil moisture levels, sunlight, air and soil temperature, 

growing degree-days, wind speed and direction, 

humidity, rainfall and leaf wetness and evaluate it all on 

a web-based platform. Once Answer Plot ® wheat yields 

have been captured, our research team will break down 

all the data and determine how different environments 

impacted overall varietal performance. This will help 

your agronomist provide even more insight when helping 

you select the best CROPLAN ® brand wheat varieties for 

your acres. 

WinField’s persistent focus on wheat research is also 

helping conquer the “final frontier” by building the 

structure for trait development. You can expect to see 

several conventional varieties being released in the 

next 10 years that will assist with maintaining plant 

health, tolerating disease pressure, resisting insects and 

tolerating heat and drought. Stay tuned for more! 


21

2015 YIELD REPORT 

SPRING CANOLA ANSWER PLOT ® DATA 

Across Locations 

% 

PRODUCT BRAND LBS / ACRE MEAN MOIST % OIL 

Bottineau Dickinson Garrison Langdon 

LBS / ACRE LBS / ACRE LBS / ACRE LBS / ACRE 

HyCLASS 930 CROPLAN ® 2874 102% 7.6 45.0 3095 2504 3148 2750 

Victory V12-1 Cargill 2853 101% 8.8 42.6 3170 2528 2892 2821 

45H31 Pioneer 2842 101% 9.5 42.5 2964 2359 2939 3105 



DKL38-48 DeKalb 2822 100% 8.8 43.7 3130 2327 3252 2576 

DKL70-07 DeKalb 2786 99% 8.4 43.6 2987 2408 2934 2813 


6044 RR Brett Young 2697 96% 8.7 42.9 3154 2158 2707 2771 

DKL70-50CR DeKalb 2688 96% 8.9 43.2 2858 2240 3023 2629 

Nexera 1020 RR Mycogen 2619 93% 13.0 42.2 2539 2393 2911 2633 

Nexera 1012 RR Mycogen 2534 90% 12.7 42.1 2727 2396 2530 2483 

MEAN 2814 43.2 3002 2401 2978 2874 

LSD (.10) 82 399 353 548 419 


22 

Total Reps 24 6 6 6 6 

* Because of factors outside of Winfield Solutions’ control, results to be obtained, including but not limited to yields, financial performance, profits, losses or otherwise, 

cannot be predicted or guaranteed by Winfield Solutions, LLC. 

** Individual results and performance may vary from location to location and from year to year. These results may not be an indicator of results you may obtain as local 

growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible. 

WinField, Answer Plot and CROPLAN are registered trademarks of Winfield Solutions, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2015 

Winfield Solutions, LLC.


24 

The National Sunflower Association (NSA) will release 

the results of its 2015 sunflower crop survey in January. 

Although researchers are still collecting and analyzing 

the data, Dr. Hans Kandel of the North Dakota State 

University Plant Sciences Department has given us a 

sneak peak at how the results are trending. 

With about 80 percent of the participating fields in North 

Dakota reporting, the most commonly observed yieldlimiting 

factors include disease, lodging, plant spacing 

within the row, drought, weeds, insects and blackbirds. 

Although this preview doesn’t include any data from 

other states, North Dakota fields typically account for 

nearly half of the sunflower fields the NSA surveys in 

North America. 

Unfortunately a trait package that repels birds isn’t 

coming out any time soon, but WinField does offer a good 

portfolio of effective crop protection products and quality 

CROPLAN ® brand seed that can help sunflowers hold up 

against the other aforementioned yield-limiting factors. 

If one or more of these problems have impacted your 

acres in the past, here are some things to consider when 

selecting seed and developing your crop management 

plan for next year. 

WEED CONTROL 

Upon determining whether you’ll produce your crop for 

NuSun ® oil, High Oleic oil, dehulling or birdseed, you’ll 

need to decide if you’re going with a herbicide tolerant 

weed management system or a conventional sunflower 

hybrid. 

Thanks to herbicide tolerance traits and the right 

pre-plant or postemergence weed-control options, 

sunflowers are averaging substantially higher yields today 

than in the past. This is one reason that early findings 

from the NSA’s 2015 study are showing that weed 

pressure caused only minor yield loss in North Dakota 

this year. However, Dr. Kandel cautions that the severity 

of the different yield-limiting factors changes from 

year-to-year based on the environment – weed pressure 

included. 

SELECT THE RIGHT SUNFLOWER 

SEED AND CROP PROTECTION 

PRODUCTS TO MANAGE AGAINST 

YIELD-LIMITING FACTORS 

Paul Gregor, WinField Product Manager 

Of the 10 different CROPLAN ® sunflower hybrids we 

offer, four carry the ExpressSun ® trait, four feature the 

Clearfield ® production system for weed control and two 

are conventional NuSun ® varieties. 

CROPLAN ® sunflower hybrids with the ExpressSun ® trait 

are tolerant to Express ® herbicide with TotalSol ® soluble 

granules. Using CROPLAN ® sunflower hybrids with the 

ExpressSun ® trait, along with Express ® herbicide, can 

help farmers optimize weed control, simplify production 

and maximize yield potential in sunflower crops. The 

ExpressSun ® trait system helps provide improved weed 

control compared to conventional hybrids with traditional 

herbicides. 

Clearfield ® sunflower hybrids are produced for use with 

Beyond ® herbicide to control postemergent weeds. 

Clearfield ® is a great option for no-till or minimum-till 

sunflower areas or fields containing weeds that are hard 

to control with other herbicides. Beyond ® herbicide 

controls both broadleaf and grassy weeds, but will not 

work on ALS-resistant weeds, such as kochia. For more 

assistance in evaluating the similarities and differences 

between these weed management technologies, consult 

your local WinField agronomist or turn to page 95 of your 

2016 CROPLAN ® Seed Guide. 

Regardless of the sunflower varieties you choose, a 

pre-emergence herbicide is a smart choice. Using a 

product like Spartan ® Charge herbicide to help combat 

early arrival weeds such as kochia and Russian thistle 

can minimize risk in most operations. 

Section ® Three herbicide by WinField controls a broad 

spectrum of emerged annual and perennial grass weeds 

and is safe to apply over the top of all sunflower hybrids. 

It provides fast control of annual grass weeds, volunteer 

corn and volunteer cereals. 

Depending on which herbicides you apply, an adjuvant 

package consisting of WinField ® InterLock ® adjuvant 

and either Destiny ® HC, Superb ® HC or Class Act NG 

adjuvants by WinField is recommended in the tank. 

InterLock ® adjuvant promotes good plant coverage 

throughout the canopy and helps minimize drift, while 

the other adjuvants can help improve efficacy by 

increasing absorption of the herbicide into the weeds. 

STALK STRENGTH 

Lodging at maturity has been one of the leading yieldlimiting 

factors in recent years and it’s shaping up to be 

the same in 2015. Factors like weather stress, damage 

from disease and insects, and inadequate nutrient levels 

can cause lodging. In order to “stand up” to stalk lodging 

next growing season (pun intended), start by selecting 

varieties that have excellent stalk strength. The hybrids 

with the highest stalk strength scores in the CROPLAN ® 

sunflower seed portfolio are: 

ExpressSun ® : CROPLAN ® 432 E and new 455 E HO 

Clearfield ® : CROPLAN ® 545 CL and new 549 CL HO 

Conventional: CROPLAN ® 3080 

Another way to help prevent stalk lodging from occurring 

is to maintain the right balance of nutrients in your crop. 

For example, potassium (K) promotes sturdy sunflower 

stalks and may help reduce lodging on medium to low 

potassium test soils. On the flip side, supplying your crop 

with too much nitrogen (N) has been found to increase 

lodging and decrease oil content. 

DISEASE RESISTANCE 

Based on crop surveys 1 from recent years, disease 

pressure is usually a major yield-limiting factor unless 

a droughty growing season is experienced. Dr. Kandel’s 

preliminary research indicates that disease was the top 

cause for lower yields this year in more than 20 percent 

of the fields surveyed so far in North Dakota. 

In most cases, crop rotation and disease resistance traits 

are the best lines of defense against disease. All but 

one CROPLAN sunflower hybrid carries resistance to at 

least some downy mildew races and each hybrid carries 

some degree of tolerance to Phomopsis and Sclerotinia. 

CROPLAN ® 549 CL HO and 559 CL sunflower hybrids 

have the best disease packages, as they offer resistance 

to all known races of downy mildew and the highest 

tolerance to Phomopsis and Sclerotinia. 

Additional methods of managing against disease include 

avoiding poorly drained fields and delaying planting 

until soil temperatures warm up and favor rapid seedling 

growth. 

DROUGHT TOLERANCE 

A benefit of growing sunflower over crops like corn 

and soybeans is that it can still perform well under dry 

conditions because of its extensive root system that helps 

it access the moisture found deep in the soil profile. That 

being said, some sunflower hybrids have better drought 

tolerance than others, which is why you should select 

your seed accordingly if you farm dry land acres in a 

historically dry area. CROPLAN ® 460 E, 545 CL and 559 

CL have the best drought tolerance of the hybrids in our 

sunflower lineup. 

INSECTS 

Insect control is always a concern because a number of 

beetle, moth and weevil species feed on sunflower. That’s 

why field scouting and timely applications of insecticide 

treatments using products like WinField ® Yuma ® , Grizzly ® 

Too or Delta Gold ® insecticides with PowerLock ® adjuvant 

from WinField can be beneficial for any grower. 

For best results, avoid spraying during the mid-morning 

to late afternoon, as that’s the peak foraging activity for 

pollinators. Spraying during hot temperatures can also 

impact canopy penetration, so target the early evening 

hours if spraying in these conditions. 

Jason Hanson, WinField Agronomist, encourages farmers 

to use WinField ® InterLock ® or PowerLock ® adjuvants 

when spraying insecticides, as it improves coverage, 

increases canopy penetration and reduces drift and 

evaporation. Consult the product label and your local 

agronomist when determining the appropriate tank mix 

and application rates of these products. 

PLANT SPACING WITHIN THE ROW 

When looking at the different factors that limit yield 

potential, incorrectly spacing plants in the row often 

causes the most significant yield loss. However, it’s also 

the only one that growers have direct control over. 

To achieve maximum yield and profit potential, proper 

sunflower seed placement is essential and requires little 

investment. Plant population can affect plant height, 

maturity, disease incidence and standability. Sunflowers 

with heavy and uneven stands tend to lodge and are 

more susceptible to sclerotinia white mold. The uneven 

head size tends to dry slower, exposing the crop longer to 

stress from weather and bird losses. 


25

To help ensure you achieve the right plant populations, 

use slower planter speeds and properly calibrate your 

planter. ProSize seed coating offers improved seed 

size uniformity, which helps improve planting accuracy. 

CROPLAN ® brand was the first to bring ProSize seed 

coating to the sunflower industry, but it is limited to 

certain hybrids and sizes. 

• Sunflower Grain Market 

For hulling oil market, generally subtract 2,000 

from oil sunflower populations. 

For confection sunflowers, generally subtract 

4,000 from oil sunflower populations. 

MAXIMIZE PROFIT POTENTIAL 

WITH VARIABLE RATE 

FERTILITY APPLICATIONS 

Chris Heidrich, WinField Agriculture Technology Specialist 

While each field and situation is unique, there are 

four main factors to consider when selecting the right 

populations for your fields. The calculations below are 

based on a planting rate with 90 percent germination, 

but your local WinField agronomist can help you select 

the right population to maximize your fields’ potential. 

• Row Spacing 

For 7- to 20-inch row spacing, generally increase oil 

sunflower populations by 3,000. 

For smaller heads and improved drydown, increase 

oil sunflower populations by 2,000. 

operation are not considered equal in terms of soil type, 

productivity and fertility levels, it only makes sense that 

they would benefit from customized treatments. The key 

is to identify crop yield goals by zone and match the 

recommended fertilizer rates that need to be applied in 

order for that crop to excel. 


26 

• Available Moisture (rainfall, stored soil moisture 

and soil type) 

For oil sunflowers, use 30-inch row spacing and 

traditional tillage. 

> 23,000 to 25,000 – highly productive areas 

and soils 

> 16,000 to 20,000 – moisture-stressed areas and 

sandy soils 

1 https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/broadleaf/sunflowers/2010%20SF%20Survey.pdf and 

http://www.sunflowernsa.com/uploads/research/1140/2011.sunflower.survey.updated_ 

kandel_12.pdf 

• Tillage Type 

For no-till seeding, increase oil sunflower populations 

by 2,000. 

IN CLOSING 

The NSA will present its complete 2015 Sunflower Crop 

Survey during its Sunflower Research Forum on January 

12-13, 2016. The data will be uploaded on the NSA 

website shortly thereafter and a summary will most likely 

appear in The Sunflower magazine. I encourage you to 

take a look at this report and use it to help you further 

prepare for the 2016 growing season. 

How CROPLAN ® Sunflower Hybrids Stack Up Against Disease, Lodging and Drought 

HYBRID 

DOWNY MILDEW 

STALK 

DROUGHT 

PHOMOPSIS SCLEROTINIA 

RESISTANCE* STRENGTH TOLERANCE 

432 E PI 8 1 2 1 2 

458 E HO PI 8 3 2 2 — 

455 E HO PI 6 2 2 1 - 

460 E N/A 2 2 3 1 

545 CL PI 6 2 2 1 1 

549 CL HO PI 15 1 1 1 - 

553 CL HO PI 6 2 2 2 - 

559 CL PI 15 1 1 3 1 

306 PI 6 5 4 2 3 

3080 PI 6 2 4 1 3 

* At least a dozen races of downy mildew have been identified in the High Plains. The PI 6 gene is resistant to races prevalent before 2000, but is 

susceptible to races 314, 704, 714, 734 and 774. The PI 8 gene can get infected, but stops downy mildew from advancing or having an 

economic impact on all common races. Exclusive to CROPLAN ® hybrids, the PI 15 gene is resistant to all known races of downy mildew. 

Every year, farmers are faced with the complex task of 

making multiple decisions about their crops that directly 

impacts yield potential and overall profits. One important 

decision that is often overlooked is whether to make a 

uniform fertilizer application or use variable rate fertilizer 

technology in the field. 

Because fertilizer is put on virtually every acre within an 

operation, it is one of the highest inputs that you use 

on your farm. When under-applied, fertility rates can 

become limited in the most productive areas of your 

field. On the flip side, excessive fertilizer applications in 

low producing areas give the crop more than it actually 

needs, which is an inefficient use of input dollars. Both 

of these situations can result in reduced yield potential 

and lower profit. That’s why it is essential to differentiate 

between the higher and lower producing areas within 

your fields and apply exactly what your crop needs. 

Powered by the R7 ® Tool by WinField, variable rate 

technology enables you to apply different fertilizer rates 

and/or seed to different plots of land within a single 

field, which can help you increase input efficiency, 

optimize crop yield potential and improve overall 

field performance. Since most fields within a farmer’s 

Many farmers try to identify those areas with the harvest 

yield data that they have collected for many years. This 

method often lacks accuracy, however, due to incomplete 

data or the lack of a yield monitor. Also, weather events 

that are beyond our control, such as wind and hail, can 

damage the crop and make yield data inaccurate. 

A better way to pinpoint the highest and lowest 

producing areas of your fields is to use the R7 ® Tool. 

The R7 ® Tool is a comprehensive precision farming 

solution that ties historic and in-season satellite imagery 

with WinField proprietary data to generate variable-rate 

prescriptions for seed, crop protection and crop nutrient 

applications. It provides images that serve as an accurate 

comparison to harvest data. The R7 ® Tool divides fields 

into zones and helps you manage variation in yield 

potential within specific fields. This information will help 

you invest in the right inputs for every acre. 

In addition to identifying nutrient deficiencies, your 

agronomist can use the R7 ® Tool to show you how 

effective the right treatment can be. Comparing photos of 

the same location taken before and after a micronutrient 

product such as WinField MAX-IN ® Ultra ZMB ® plant 

nutrients are applied validates the science powering the 

R7 ® Tool and the efficacy of the micronutrient product. 

Variable rate fertility not only has the capability to 

increase crop yield potential, but it also has the potential 

to improve quality. In a crop like wheat, farmers have 

been known to observe increased bushels, a more 

uniform stand and an increase in protein throughout the 

field. All of these benefits factor into realizing a very good 

return on your investment when utilizing variable rate 

fertilizer technology. 

To learn more about integrating the R7 ® Tool and variable 

rate technology into your operation, reach out to your 

local agronomist. 


27

CUSTOMER 

TESTIMONIAL 

KELLY HOWE – HETTINGER, ND 

How long have you been using CROPLAN ® seed products? 

I’ve been producing wheat and sunflowers for seven years 

now. I just harvested my first CROPLAN ® brand wheat 

crop and I’ve grown CROPLAN ® sunflowers for the past 

four or five years. I also started rotating in CROPLAN ® 

soybeans two years ago. 

Which CROPLAN ® products do you use in your fields? 

I farm about 1,000 acres divided equally among those 

three crops. I went with CROPLAN ® HRS 3149 on all my 

wheat acres. The sunflower hybrids are CROPLAN ® 460 

E and 458 E HO and our soybeans are all CROPLAN ® 

R2T0200 WinPak. 

How has CROPLAN ® seed performed for you? 

I’ve been very pleased with the results so far. I’m 

fortunate to live in an area that has experienced ideal 

growing conditions for wheat over the past couple years, 

and CROPLAN ® 3149 wheat really took advantage of 

that this year. In addition, the CROPLAN ® sunflower 

hybrids have performed extremely well. In fact, our 

sunflower yields have averaged very high since switching 

to CROPLAN ® seed. 

What do you like best about working with your local 

WinField seed representative? 

John Lefebre from Alliance Ag Cooperative is my local 

WinField representative. I’m constantly picking his brain 

about one thing or another, and if I ever ask a question 

that he can’t answer, he finds the right answer for me. 

John also happens to be my neighbor and a friend, so 

I trust he’ll always recommend the right seed and crop 

protection products for my fields. 

How does your local WinField representative help you 

learn about new varieties? 

John is always on top of the CROPLAN ® seed portfolio. 

He knows that I’m open to trying new things to improve 

yield potential, so he’s not afraid to let me know if he 

thinks a new variety is a better fit for my acres. 

What role will CROPLAN ® seed play in the future of your 

farm? 

I’m going to continue utilizing CROPLAN ® seed 

across my farm. I’ve been pleased with the yields I’ve 

achieved, but I also really like the focus WinField puts 

on research and development and managing a crop to 

its highest potential. The research they’ve been doing 

on high management wheat and variable rate nutrient 

applications makes sense. I’m excited to integrate some 

of these practices into my crop management program, 

especially considering commodity prices are down and 

inputs remain high. Return on investment is key and 

CROPLAN ® products have paid off on our operation. 

Kelly Howe’s story is provided as an individual’s experience with 

Winfield Solutions’ products and may not be a representation of 

actual results than can be guaranteed. Because of factors outside 

of Winfield Solutions’ control such as weather, soil, planting and 

product application; individual results to be obtained, including 

but not limited to: financial performance, profits, losses and yields 

cannot be predicted or guaranteed by Winfield Solutions. 


29


30 

OK, time for a pop quiz. When making selections for your 

future canola needs, how do you determine which hybrids 

to pick? 

A. You stay with an “old faithful” hybrid that has 

done well on your farm for the past several years. 

B. You visit with your local agronomist and 

incorporate their recommendations on hybrid 

selection. 

C. You strategically select products based on 

multi-year data collection. 

D. All of the above. 

If you picked D, you’ve aced this test! These are the 

recommendations I always make when purchasing a 

product portfolio for your farm. There are many different 

hybrids and traits available in today’s marketplace. From 

Genuity ® Roundup Ready ® to LibertyLink ® traits, each 

management system has several hybrids within their 

lineup. But how do you know which one will work in your 

field and which one will not? 

STEP 1 

START WITH KNOWING YOUR FIELDS AND YOUR 

FARM. That might sound pretty simple, but let’s take 

that one step further. There are hybrids that are designed 

for your variable acres and there are hybrids that are 

SPRING CANOLA: 

PURCHASING A PORTFOLIO 

Bob Bohl, WinField Technical Seed Manager 

designed for your best producing acres. Do you know 

which ones are which? This is where our Answer Plot ® 

program really begins to help you determine your planting 

portfolio. We test our HyCLASS ® canola and partnered 

brands in multiple states across several different soil 

types to deliver valuable insight to the end user. Our 

number one focus is your return on investment (ROI). 

STEP 2 

IS THE MORE CHALLENGING PART; DETERMINE THE 

TYPE OF MANAGEMENT SYSTEM YOU WANT TO USE. 

Some farmers love using Roundup Ready ® canola. Some 

are trying to rotate their management to LibertyLink ® 

InVigor ® canola, while others are using both. There really 

isn’t a right or wrong answer here in terms of chemical 

preference based on weed control, but there is a right 

answer when it comes to performance in the field. Start 

by selecting your management strategy. Both strategies 

have big hitters in the lineup. I am a fan of using both, 

and I will explain why next. 

STEP 3 

INVOLVES PRODUCT PERFORMANCE. Again, the active 

ingredient in both herbicides is good. That is why I will 

talk about both strategies combined. There are racehorse 

products in both management systems, but have you ever 

compared them together as “apples to apples”? I would 

“ 

When selecting the right hybrids for your farm, all of 

these factors should play an important role in your 

decision-making process. 

guess most producers have not, but I like to compare 

them evenly. After all, we do include both management 

strategies in Answer Plot ® trials and in the field, right? 

This is where doing your homework with your local 

agronomist or WinField representative really pays off. The 

popularity of both product lines seems to lean towards 

hybrids with shatter resistance. Yes, shatter tolerance is 

a key attribute in any hybrid selection, but does it leave 

potential yield on the table? Do you need every canola 

acre on your farm to have complete shatter resistance? 

What about hybrids that have better yield and excellent 

shatter scores? Would you consider those as well? 

I understand wanting to have peace of mind and 

flexibility when it comes to harvest, but consider the idea 

of planting some acres to hybrids that have really good 

shatter scores and yield higher instead of hybrids that 

have shatter resistance. If you compare Answer Plot® 

yield data over a number of years, you’ll find several 

high-yield products in both management systems. We 

tend to see that the product with the highest shatter 

score might not have the highest yield potential unless 

it was planted in an environment where high winds or a 

rain-delayed harvest resulted in excessive shattering. 

The comfort and convenience you get from a hybrid that 

can handle these conditions is valued, but not every acre 

needs to be that way. This is where planting a portfolio 

is the best way to maximize your ROI. Select a hybrid for 

” 

your high yield offensive ground that you can effectively 

harvest in a timely manner. Then select a hybrid that can 

handle your medium productivity, variable soils and a 

hybrid for your challenging, low producing acres. 

STEP 4 

DEALS WITH COMPARING SIMILAR PRODUCTS 

EQUALLY – REGARDLESS OF MANAGEMENT. When 

comparing hybrids, pay close attention to indicators 

like relative maturity and flowering dates. This is 

very important, especially when looking at yield data. 

Flowering dates and relative maturity are key points for 

different type of yield environments. 

If a plot was located in an area where temperatures 

didn’t exceed 77 degrees Fahrenheit during flowering, 

then most times a hybrid with more full-season maturity 

will yield better if the environment continues to support 

pod fill. If an area did have high temperatures at 

pollination, then the early canola hybrids may have an 

advantage over later maturities. 

When selecting the right hybrids for your farm, all of 

these factors should play an important role in your 

decision-making process. Don’t hesitate to turn to your 

trusted local agronomist and WinField representative for 

help in sifting through the data and selecting the right 

products for you to maximize the ROI on your farm. 

Happy seeding! 


31

Winfield Solutions, LLC 

P.O. Box 64281 

St. Paul, MN 55164 

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U.S. POSTAGE 

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Be Greater, WinField, CROPLAN and R7 are registered trademarks of Winfield Solutions, LLC. © 2012 Winfield Solutions, LLC

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