Early harvest results show that YieldGard® Plus Corn, with maximum in-plant protection against corn rootworms and corn borers, achieved a 15-bushel yield advantage compared with corn protected with insecticides under the severe drought conditions experienced in Illinois this season.

In addition, a significant number of growers in the extreme drought areas of Illinois experienced performance advantages in excess of 35 bushels per acre with YieldGard Plus.

Across the Midwest, much of which experienced unusually dry weather this season, YieldGard corn technology outyielded corn protected by insecticides by 10.9 bushels per acre.

Dave Rhylander, Director of Traits for Monsanto, said because the YieldGard Plus roots were well-protected, the larger root systems were able to absorb more moisture and nutrients deeper in the soil. And because the YieldGard Plus stalks were well protected, they were also able to better transport extra moisture and nutrients to the entire plant.

“It’s this maximum amount of moisture and nutrients that helped YieldGard Plus significantly outperform conventional corn hybrids even under very dry conditions,” Rhylander said.

Illinois Growers Report Yield Advantage

Growers in Illinois and other moisture-limited parts of the Corn Belt experiencing rootworm pressure reported that YieldGard Plus technology resulted in taller, healthier plants, larger ears and higher yields than corn protected with soil insecticides or seed treatments, even when comparing the same hybrid. 

Craig Alexander, of McLean, Ill., said 2005 was one of the driest years he has experienced since 1988. But his YieldGard Plus Corn achieved a 20-40 bushel advantage. “YieldGard Plus was the talk of my area,” he said. “Compared to my conventional corn, the YieldGard Plus ears were much larger, and more uniform and consistent.”

Roy Douglas (photo), who farms in Urbana, Ill., experienced a 15-20 bushel advantage with his YieldGard Plus Corn. “The YieldGard ears were longer and filled out to the tip. My conventional ears were about one-third smaller,” he said. Douglas said his area received about 50 percent less rainfall than normal levels.

Alan Homann, of Charleston, Ill., reported a 20-25 bushel advantage with YieldGard Plus, and, in some cases, the difference was as much as 40 to 50 bushels. “I couldn’t believe I got a crop like this with so little rain,” he said. “I could not have asked for YieldGard Plus to perform any better than it did. It was way above what I expected.”

Industry Experts Credit Corn Technology

When the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently raised its 2005 crop production estimates, some industry experts credited new corn technology for helping growers battle pests and weed competition. The USDA projected 2005 corn production will reach 10.8 billion bushels, which, if it holds up, would be the second-largest crop on record.

Greg Grow, director of agribusiness for Archer Financial Services, said adverse weather such as that experienced this season would normally have had a much more severe impact on crops.

“I have been in this business for 30 years, and it has become apparent that the corn yields are going to be far in excess of what the crop condition reports would have indicated,” Grow said. “I have been amazed by how some of the new technologies have been able to reduce the ability of pests to work on plants during times of stress.”

Dry Weather Puts YieldGard Technology to the Test

Todd DeGooyer, an entomologist who serves as Monsanto Corn Technology Development Manager, said university studies have shown that YieldGard technology provides more effective, consistent protection than traditional soil insecticides or seed treatments. But during the past two years, it has been difficult to measure the impact of larger root systems because the summers have been wet, he said.

“What occurred this season in Illinois – and in many other parts of the Corn Belt – is the first time we have seen the benefits of YieldGard technology so dramatically,” DeGooyer explained.

Rhylander noted that the drought that hit Illinois this season could occur anywhere in the Corn Belt and that growers need to take steps to mitigate their risk. “We all know that farming is full of risks and that weather is one of the biggest growers face,” he said. “This season proved that YieldGard Plus is a tool that can help reduce the impact of dry weather in areas where rootworm exists.”

YieldGard Plus combines the consistent protection of YieldGard Rootworm and YieldGard Corn Borer in one seed, and it is the first corn technology to deliver whole-season, in-plant protection against European and southwestern corn borers and effective and consistent protection against western and northern corn rootworms. YieldGard Plus also offers in-the-bag protection against wireworms, white grubs, seed corn maggots, early flea beetles and black cutworms. In addition, it suppresses earworms, fall armyworms and stalk borers.

Growers must follow grain marketing and insect resistance management requirements and pesticide label directions. Comparisons show performance in the dry conditions in Illinois. Results may vary.

YieldGard® is a registered trademark of Monsanto Technology LLC.