NK Products to Watch in 2022 (Part 2)

NK Seeds is gearing up for the 2022 growing season! Last week, NK’s Great Lakes agronomist, Mark Riehl, previewed a few corn hybrids and soybean varieties that he’s excited to watch in the year ahead. Today, Ernie Newquist, NK Agronomist in Nebraska, shares his “Products to Watch.”

NK Agronomist, Ernie Newquist's Corn Picks for the 2022 Growing Season

Ernie encourages Nebraska growers to look at NK1188, a 111-RM hybrid featuring a medium plant height and semi-flex ear that performs best at moderate populations. Farmers will want to consider NK1188 for its strong roots and above-average stalk that performs across all soil textures and drainage situations. “This hybrid can handle the heat and is very consistent in all yield environments,” says Ernie. NK1188 is noted for its nice grain quality and TWT, but suggests growers use caution in areas with Goss’s Wilt. NK1188 has a strong rating for Bacterial Leaf Streak and Northern Corn Leaf Blight. It’s a good option for high pH soils. NK1188 is available with above-ground as well as above- or below-ground traits for insect protection from the Agrisure family of traits.

For Nebraska farmers in the 115-day maturity range, Ernie suggests NK1523, a tall plant with low, semi-flex ear placement and upright leaves. Other attributes of this hybrid include excellent roots and strong stalks that excel in coarse-to-medium soils. For best results, Ernie encourages farmers to plant NK1523 on highly productive soils and irrigated acres at a population of 30,000-33,000 or on dryland acres at moderate populations. He praises its “exciting combination of agronomics and yield potential,” along with its improved TWT and grain quality with Agrisure Viptera^® for above ground control of insects. NK1523 has an excellent rating for Northern Corn Leaf Blight and a good option for high pH soils.

Ernie’s 2022 Soybean Picks

Nebraska soybean farmers also have plenty of reasons to be optimistic for the season ahead. They’ll want to consider NK27-A7XF, an XtendFlex^® variety, for a 2.7 relative maturity if they are looking for a potentially high-yielding, broadly adapted product. Also noteworthy are its medium-tall plant height with medium canopy and its solid standability. This variety provides Phytophthora Root Rot protection and is rated excellent for Sudden Death Syndrome. While NK27-A7XF is suited to all row widths, variable soils and management practices, Ernie cautions farmers to avoid planting it in high-pH soils and fields with a history of FELS.

Ernie’s other hot soybean pick for 2022 is NK28-T3XF, another XtendFlex variety with a 2.8 relative maturity. This medium-tall plant features a medium-bush canopy and excels in irrigation or potentially high-yielding environments. It’s suitable for a wide range of soil types, including variable and poorly drained, and boasts a great Sudden Death Syndrome tolerance that allows for early planting and is fit for high pH soils.