The corn refuge revolution comes to Ontario

Monday, April 2, 2012

Seed companies are betting that simplicity and convenience will persuade growers to jump aboard the RIB bandwagon in 2012

by BERNARD TOBIN

Is convenience and simplicity enough to make refuge-in-a-bag (RIB) corn seed products a favourite choice for Ontario corn growers? Greg Stewart thinks so.

Stewart, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs corn specialist, predicts RIB products that deliver 95 per cent insect-protected seed and five per cent refuge seed in the same bag "will get significant traction" with Ontario corn growers.

The RIB products are designed to simplify planting by eliminating the need to plant separate blocks or strips of refuge hybrids to maintain regulatory compliance and prevent pest resistance to the technology. At the same time, growers get the ability to plant a higher percentage of corn that delivers traits for insect protection – and potentially higher yields.

After limited planting in 2011, growers are expected to plant RIB corn on a significant portion of Ontario corn acres this spring. "A little bit of it is going to depend on price, but I think if we look back for examples, the simplicity card is a pretty hard card to bet against," says Stewart, who asks: "Did we really adopt Roundup Ready because we had no way of controlling weeds?"

Stewart notes that, while Roundup Ready technology did provide significant advantages in controlling weeds, "simplicity was clearly the key. I can't image we will steer off that trend. For most growers, if you can make a decision that can simplify some of the management required on your farming operation, you will go in that direction."

Exeter corn grower Peter Tuckey planted 40 acres of DeKalb RIB corn in 2011. He says he'll grow more of the corn in the future because it simplifies compliance with refuge rules.

Tuckey, who crops 750 acres in a corn-soy-wheat rotation, had tremendous yields on all his corn in 2011, averaging better than 200 bushels per acre – something he attributes to a combination of timely planting, heat and precipitation, as well as twin rows and foliar fertilizer.

"It's important to be compliant if we want to preserve these new technologies," says Tuckey. "I've always bought the appropriate amount of seed for the 20 per cent refuge, but the problem was getting it planted everywhere it should have been planted."

For Tuckey, who typically planted block refuges, being compliant was a challenge, especially in difficult planting years such as 2011. "The RIB corn is going to solve my refuge problems because it's already there and we're getting 15 per cent more technology in every acre," says Tuckey. "That's big."

Seed companies are also betting that growers will jump aboard the RIB wagon. DeKalb marketing manager Denise Hockaday says the decision to have a full lineup of DeKalb brand RIB hybrids for 2012 planting was based on the feedback received from growers like Tuckey.

"Growers want to be compliant and respect refuge, but it's not always easy," says Hockaday. "With RIB corn, it's automatic compliance and it's very convenient for short planting windows like we had last spring."

Steve Twynstra, who cash crops 3,000 acres near Ailsa Craig, also grew RIB corn in 2011. He says it's hard to deny the benefits of the technology when you look at the impact it can have on efficiency and logistics. Twynstra says RIB corn will provide more consistent yields because he would be able to use "more Bt corn, which has proven to be higher yielding over time compared to conventional corn."

He adds that "having the five per cent refuge spread throughout the entire field also creates less quality issues. When you harvest, you won't suddenly be getting into non-GMO corn that could have more mould potential. So there's less chance of having contaminated corn and being downgraded accordingly." He also believes RIB corn will allow for more consistent modelling of fields for fertility.

From a planting perspective, Twynstra feels RIB simplifies things tremendously. "You don't have to worry about getting the right seed into the planter at the right time and having it run out at different times in different hoppers."

Twynstra believes farmers will have to weigh the benefits of RIB corn versus the additional premium the seed commands.

When it comes to selecting RIB hybrids, Stewart has some advice for farmers. He says the first consideration is whether the hybrid you're most confident in is offered in a RIB product. Another point is determining how much you want to spend.

"From an agronomic perspective, if you are not growing corn after corn, what is the incentive to be looking for rootworm protection?" asks Stewart. He does note, however, that when it comes to corn seed, growers are focused on buying yield and sometimes different traits come with that yield.

Pioneer agronomist Blair Freeman feels simplicity will be the key to RIB products gaining a foothold on Ontario farms. "It's certainly something that the bigger farmers, those with 24-row centre-fill planters, are looking for."

Pioneer's single-bag Optimum AcreMax refuge product targets only above-ground insects, and Freeman says the company is offering products for most maturities for 2012 planting.

"Some guys are saying that planting a refuge is not a big deal. Time will tell," says Freeman. "It's going to be high adoption, but I think it will take a couple of years to get there." BF