If you read much of the farm press you will notice a certain amount of animosity between a couple of the major corn seed companies. This is unfortunate. It is costing growers. There is the cost of the ads that could be put to better use. More crucial is the cost of lost professional time and effort. Instead of these usually great companies giving you good information about their products they have resorted to acting like two fat kids in the sandbox. This fat kid syndrome is spilling over to the field. Some dealers have picked up this useless fight. The good thing is that they chose a year to act this way when hybrid selection is easier than it has been in a long time. Both of these companies along with the rest of the companies have a great selection of hybrids. Within the last five years I have seen results on farm where one hybrid yielded about 90 bu/ac less than another hybrid. This was the measured yield difference over 20 acres. It will be hard to pick hybrids for 2010 that have this much difference in their yields. Hybrids have improved for most of Ontario over the last five years. The introduction of genetically modified corn has played a big part. These hybrids are yielding better. And the companies with non-GMO hybrids are only putting forward their best hybrids. These non-GMOs as a group are yielding better than the non-GMOs of a few years ago. Good luck in your hybrid selection for 2010.
