- Varieties from Syngenta help grower earn first place in two Illinois Soybean Association yield challenges
- In a dry season, S27-M8X and S26-P3 brands outperformed other varieties in the area
- Grower credits deliberate management decisions, including proper product positioning and effective use of irrigation, for the achievement
MINNETONKA, Minn., USA, Feb. 06, 2018 – Dan Luepkes had much to celebrate at the end of 2017, securing two first-place rankings in the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) yield contest. Overcoming a dry growing season, the Chana, Illinois-based grower credited careful management decisions and NK® varieties from Syngenta with his victories in the District 1 and Double Crop challenges.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted Illinois soybeans to average around 58 bushels per acre (bu/A) in 2017, but Luepkes’ yields reached much higher – producing 95.32 bu/A with NK variety S27-M8X brand in the District 1 Challenge and 75.54 bu/A with NK variety S26-P3 brand in the Double Crop Challenge.
“The high yields were a result of a mixture of management practices and advanced seed technology,” Luepkes said. “The varieties grown had good stand establishment alongside solid genetics with disease resistance and produced high yields.”
Luepkes’ success came despite less rain than usual, a challenge he overcame through an advanced irrigation system. With sandy soil and uneven land, subsurface drip irrigation allowed him to spread water and nutrients underground, directly to the roots.
“Dan is not afraid to challenge himself and take risks,” said Mike Friedlund, an Illinois-based NK sales representative. “He is a leader in his local area when it comes to adapting and challenging his own operation.”
Friedlund helped Luepkes select S27-M8X and S26-P3 brand varieties, which are both notable for being consistently high performers. The NK seeds lineup includes unique and innovative options driven by the latest scientific advances. Originating from a proprietary pool of genetics, they help growers truly spread risk and maximize returns.
“I put faith in our soybean breeders and the NK soybean pedigrees that we work with,” Friedlund said. “After talking to Dan, we worked with him to match varieties within his desired maturity rating that we knew would work in his yield environment and with his management tactics. As his victories in the contest showed, we found a good fit.”
ISA established the Yield Challenge to help build Illinois’ position as a global leader in soybean production. The contest drew in 35 participants this year, the best of whom were recognized in January at an awards banquet before the annual Soybean Summit in Springfield, Illinois. Winners in each region also received a monetary award of $500.
Luepkes has been planting NK seed for more than 10 years and credits his consistently high yields to solid genetics coupled with the right management practices.
“The key to selecting seed is to start with genetics, first and foremost,” Luepkes said. “From there, add fertilization, management practices and seed treatment options to match your management style. I’ve found that NK beans are good year in and year out. You can always expect good quality.”
For more information, visit www.NK.com. Join the conversation online – connect with us at Syngenta-us.com/social.
About NK
NK offers growers a science-driven boost to their seed portfolios. Our researchers tap into “big data” techniques to drive innovation that helps growers spread risk and maximize whole crop return. Plant the Seeds of ChangeSM to see the difference that innovation can make.
About Syngenta
Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on X at www.twitter.com/Syngenta and www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS.
Media Contacts:
Bev Larson
612-656-8122
bev.larson@syngenta.com
Alli Kunke
312-648-6700
akunke@gscommunications.com
Web Resources:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
NK Soybeans
S27-M8X
S26-P3
Syngenta Newsroom
Thrive
Know More, Grow More
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as ‘expect’, ‘would’, ‘will’, ‘potential’, ‘plans’, ‘prospects’, ‘estimated’, ‘aiming’, ‘on track’ and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. We refer you to Syngenta's publicly available filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for information about these and other risks and uncertainties. Syngenta assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors. This document does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer, to purchase or subscribe for any ordinary shares in Syngenta AG, or Syngenta ADSs, nor shall it form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract there for.
©2018 Syngenta. Unless otherwise expressly stated, all trademarks indicated as ®/TM/SM and the trade dress are the property of a Syngenta Group Company. NK® Soybean varieties are protected under granted or pending U.S. variety patents and other intellectual property rights, regardless of the trait(s) within the seed. The Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® and Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® traits may be protected under numerous United States patents. It is unlawful to save NK® Soybeans, Genuity® Roundup Ready 2 Yield® or Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® Soybeans for planting or transfer to others for use as a planting seed. Roundup Ready 2 Yield®, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend®, Genuity®, Genuity and Design and Genuity Icons are trademarks used under license from Monsanto Technology LLC.