Seed investment helps farmers end challenging season on positive note

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Nov. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- After a growing season that was predictable only in its unpredictability, harvest is finding NK^® corn and soybeans from Syngenta offering farmers much-needed stability – delivering winning yields in fields across the U.S.

NK hybrids and varieties combine the latest in seed technology with top-of-the-line genetics, producing crops that withstand some of the biggest in-field challenges. Even in a tumultuous year, characteristics like broad adaptability and disease tolerance have helped NK growers maintain maximum return on investment.

"The unpredictability of growing seasons like this one drive NK breeders to develop corn and soybean seeds that can deliver value for the farmer regardless of Mother Nature," said Jim Shertzer, head of NK marketing. "Innovation has been at the core of our brand for 135 years, but we don't innovate for innovation's sake – we innovate so that farmers can maximize their profit potential no matter what. Farmers are telling us those efforts are paying off."

Genetic gain drives corn yields
No other brand of corn has experienced genetic gain over the past decade like NK has. Early harvest results show that's translating to bushels per acre (bu/A) in the field, with NK corn beating key competitors in the Corn Belt and beyond. For example:

• In South Dakota and Minnesota, NK0243-5122 E-Z Refuge^® brand outyielded DeKalb hybrids by 10.7 bu/A across 43 comparisons and Pioneer hybrids by 7.3 bu/A across 40 comparisons.
• In South Dakota and Minnesota, NK0243-3120 E-Z Refuge brand outyielded DeKalb hybrids by 7.5 bu/A and Pioneer hybrids by 5.1 bu/A in 145 comparisons.
• NK0472-5122 E-Z Refuge brand outyielded Pioneer hybrids by 16.5 bu/A in 22 northwestern Iowa comparisons.

These numbers came as no surprise to Joe Bollman, NK corn product manager, who noted that the latest NK corn advancement class outyielded DeKalb^® and Pioneer^® hybrids by 4.9 bu/A and 1.2 bu/A, respectively, in prelaunch trials.¹

"What we're seeing this fall confirms what we've known for some time: The reinvigorated NK corn portfolio is second to none," Bollman said. "The combination of leading genetics and advanced traits like Agrisure Duracade^® and Agrisure Viptera^® – offering premium above- and below-ground insect control – is empowering farmers across the U.S. to maximize the value of their corn crop."

For 2020, Syngenta is equipping NK growers with a number of innovations, including 17 new hybrids. The company also has been rolling out a new digital platform – the NK Seed Analyzer – to help retailers and farmers optimize their seed selections. Powered by almost two decades of data, the NK Seed Analyzer enables proactive planning for weather volatility, soil variability and planting specifications by showing actual results from numerous sources.

Additionally, NK retailers in select locations will sell Enogen^® corn, unique hybrids that add value for farmers who produce grain or silage for livestock feed or market grain to ethanol plants. Four new Enogen hybrids are available for the 2020 growing season.

Soybeans stay strong
NK corn wasn't alone in helping farmers this year, as NK soybeans continued to build on a reputation of consistently strong yields. For example:

• S14-U9X brand had strong showings in several areas. The variety has outyielded Asgrow products by 4.1 bu/A in 19 Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota comparisons, 1.8 bu/A in 58 South Dakota & western Minnesota comparisons, and 1.6 bu/A in 12 Upper Midwest comparisons.
• S28-E3 brand outyielded all Asgrow varieties by 5.2 bu/A across 45 comparisons in southern and eastern Nebraska, and Pioneer varieties by 6 bu/A across 18 comparisons in the same area.
• S35-E3 brand also delivered solid performance in southern and eastern Nebraska, with a 4.4 bu/A yield advantage over Pioneer varieties and a 2.8 bu/A advantage over Asgrow varieties.

"Yet again, NK soybeans are coming out on top," said Eric Miller, NK soybeans product manager. "With more than 50 years of advanced soybean breeding focused on delivering the best genetics with strong defensive traits, it's no surprise that NK keeps delivering high yields year after year."

Growers of NK soybeans are benefiting from a Syngenta commitment to accelerate innovation that addresses increasing challenges across agriculture and the environment. Supported by Syngenta, NK is investing in technologies that matter to bring about positive, lasting change for more sustainable agriculture.

For NK soybeans, this investment in innovation is translating to a 2020 portfolio that sets the standard for soybean trait choice. The 68 new varieties available for next growing season include Enlist E3™ soybeans, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend^® and LibertyLink^® GT27™, empowering farmers with the industry's broadest choice of herbicide traits to manage tough-to-control weeds in their fields.

For more information and local yield results, visit www.NKSeeds.com or speak to a local NK retailer. Join the conversation online – connect with Syngenta at Syngenta-us.com/social and follow #NKSeeds #Harvest19 on Twitter for the latest updates.

¹ MyYield – 2018 Syngenta internal trials, Dec. 1, 2018

About Syngenta
Syngenta is one of the world's leading agriculture companies. Our ambition is to help safely feed the world while taking care of the planet. We aim to improve the sustainability, quality and safety of agriculture with world class science and innovative crop solutions. Our technologies enable millions of farmers around the world to make better use of limited agricultural resources. With 28,000 people in more than 90 countries we are working to transform how crops are grown. Through partnerships, collaboration and The Good Growth Plan we are committed to improving farm productivity, rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Syngenta and www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS.

Web Resources:
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Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This document may contain 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. For Syngenta, such risks and uncertainties include risks relating to legal proceedings, regulatory approvals, new product development, increasing competition, customer credit risk, general economic and market conditions, compliance and remediation, intellectual property rights, implementation of organizational changes, impairment of intangible assets, consumer perceptions of genetically modified crops and organisms or crop protection chemicals, climatic variations, fluctuations in exchange rates and/or commodity prices, single source supply arrangements, political uncertainty, natural disasters, and breaches of data security or other disruptions of information technology. Syngenta assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors.

©2019 Syngenta, 2001 Butterfield Road, Suite 1600, Downers Grove, IL 60515. Important: Always read and follow label and bag tag instructions; only those labeled as tolerant to glufosinate may be sprayed with glufosinate ammonium based herbicides.

LibertyLink^®, Liberty^® and the Water Droplet logo are registered trademarks of BASF. GT27™ is a trademark of M.S. Technologies and BASF. HERCULEX^® and the HERCULEX Shield are trademarks of Dow AgroSciences, LLC. HERCULEX Insect Protection technology by Dow AgroSciences. ENLIST E3™ soybean technology is jointly developed with Dow AgroScience LLC and MS Technologies LLC. ENLIST E3 is a trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC.

Roundup Ready 2 Yield^®, Roundup Ready 2 Xtend^®, Genuity^®, Genuity and Design, Genuity Icons, YieldGard VT Pro^® and Design are registered trademarks used under license from Monsanto Technology LLC.

Under federal and local laws, only dicamba-containing herbicides registered for use on dicamba-tolerant varieties may be applied. See product labels for details and tank mix partners. Golden Harvest^® and 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 soybeans containing these traits for planting or transfer to others for use as a planting seed. Only dicamba formulations that employ VaporGrip® Technology are approved for use with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans. Only 2,4-D choline formulations with Colex-D® Technology are approved for use with Enlist E3™ Soybeans. The trademarks or service marks displayed or otherwise used herein are the property of a Syngenta Group Company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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