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Kentucky | I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the need for new varieties over time to account for pathogen shifts. From my experience wheat yields do NOT "flatline" over time, but decrease as the variety gains major market share year after year. It's not unusual to see 50% or more of the acres in our area planted to the same variety because it's the hottest one going. This may last for a few years and then all of a sudden that same variety begins to break down more and more to diseases.
I'm probably more in the middle on this dicussion -- not ready to bash all seed companies and universities, but definitely do not agree with many of their policies and marketing strategies. I applaud Pioneer for the number of top varieties they have introduced the past 15+ years. More than any other company they have put more yield and short stiff strawed wheats at the top of trials. As for their marketing, it stinks. Dealers are frustrated with unreliable supplies -- getting told to sell, sell, sell then being informed before planting that the supply won't be there, then after most have finished planting getting a sudden new allocation of seed wheat to sell. This has happened several times. I remember one year that I got 50% of my PREPAID seed in October of the hot new variety that I bought in July. I found out a neighbor who walked in November could get all he wanted because more was released. Of course I had finished planting. He also paid less than what I prepaid with discounts. Needless to say, Pioneer didn't make many friends that year -- dealers or farmers.
I do clean and treat my own seed from certified. There is a lot of difference between cleaners on the quality they put out. I also try to plant certified seed to save for seed stock and to look at new varieties. | |
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bin run wheat seed
