Garst Seed Company announces the introduction of 31 new corn hybrids for the 2006 growing season. Nine of the newest hybrids contain Agrisure™ traits for effective weed and pest management control and offer growers more crop management choices.

All Garst® brand hybrids contain elite germplasm that delivers excellent yields and exceptional plant health and standabilty. Agrisure hybrids combine this elite germplasm with the Agrisure CB trait for corn borer resistance or the Agrisure GT trait for glyphosate tolerance. In 2005, Garst offered two new hybrids with Agrisure CB.

“Garst’s new hybrids offer a combination of high-yielding genetics and proven technology that provides growers more product choices for crop protection and yield potential,” says Scott Hart, corn product manager. “Growers should select hybrids with excellent genetics that best fit their farm. Then they should look at traits and technologies that help them manage specific production challenges.”

Garst corn products with Agrisure GT technology offer in-plant tolerance to glyphosate-based herbicides with excellent crop safety allowing corn to reach its full yield potential. Garst hybrids with the Agrisure CB/LL trait provide season-long protection from European corn borer, Southwestern corn borer and Southern cornstalk borer. Corn products with this trait also provide herbicide flexibility with the Liberty Link® system.

Based on years of research and corn borer-rated trials, hybrids with the Agrisure CB trait delivered more than seven bushels per acre average yield advantage compared to conventional hybrids.

The new Garst products with Agrisure traits range from a 104-day general relative maturity (GRM) hybrid to a 112-day GRM hybrid. The additional new Garst products include a range from a 76-day GRM hybrid to a 118-day GRM.  

In addition to the Garst hybrids with Agrisure traits, development efforts are currently underway to expand the Agrisure offerings to include corn rootworm resistant (Agrisure™ RW ) choices. Registration is expected for the 2007 planting season.

“Garst provides a genetic pipeline second to none in the industry, and through Syngenta’s $2 million-per-day investment in research and development, we have tremendous access to trait discovery capabilities and new traits,” says Hart. “Garst is committed to continuing to provide the technology and choices growers need for their farm.”

Seed Treatment Options

Garst is again offering four seed-applied insecticide options – Cruiser ExtremeTM PAK, Cruiser ExtremeTM PAK CRW, Poncho® 250 and Poncho® 1250 – on a majority of its hybrids. Cruiser Extreme Pak is a seed-applied combination of Cruiser® seed treatment insecticide and three proven fungicides – Maxim® XL, Apron XL® and new DynastyTM. The fungicides provide protection against all four major fungal groups. Cruiser Extreme Pak CRW has a higher insecticide rate, which adds control of billbug and corn rootworm. Poncho 250 and Poncho 1250 control several early season pests that reduce plant stands and lower your crop’s yield potential.

Garst Seed Company, with headquarters in Slater, Iowa, provides seed solutions for growers across North America with high yielding corn, soybean, sorghum, alfalfa and sunflower products.

Garst Seed Company is affiliated with Syngenta, a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology.  Syngenta is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2004 were approximately $7.3 billion. Syngenta employs some 19,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT).

® Garst brand is a trademark of Garst Seed Company.
AgrisureTM, Cruiser®, Cruiser ExtremeTM, Maxim® XL, Apron XL®, and DynastyTM are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.
Liberty®, Liberty Link® and Poncho® are registered trademarks of Bayer.