Ralls, Texas, USA
August 26, 2010

When Robert Rieder made the decision early last February to plant the majority of his acreage with a Triumph Seed™ SmartStax™ corn hybrid, the industry’s most advanced trait technology that has multiple Bt proteins for control of both above-ground and below-ground insects, he got more than he expected – literally. Rieder, a farmer in Sinton , Texas , planted the Triumph Seed SmartStax hybrid to reduce his refuge acres from 50 percent to 20 percent, thus protecting more of his corn acres with Bt traits. In addition to benefiting from the reduced refuge requirement Rieder also noted, “The Triumph Seed SmartStax hybrid 7514S in my test plot out-yielded all the other hybrids I tested.” Rieder added, “It’s a good year when you realize that the best performing hybrid in your test plot is also the same hybrid you planted on the majority of your acres.”

For years, Rieder has incorporated test plots on his farm to observe hybrid performance and the value of different technologies. He planted hybrid 7514S, a new SmartStax hybrid from Triumph, as the check hybrid. This hybrid was planted into strips throughout the test plot along with other hybrids, some of which included the same genetics as the SmartStax hybrid. The SmartStax hybrid in the test plot out-yielded all other hybrids tested and out-yielded the Roundup Ready® Corn 2 refuge hybrid Rieder planted by 12.8 bushels per acre.

“The results Robert had with our Triumph Seed SmartStax hybrid are outstanding. With nearly 2,000 acres of this hybrid planted on his farm, we are very pleased with the performance he experienced. The genetics have performed very well in the state, and we are thrilled to see it do so well in South Texas ,” noted Triumph Seed Product Marketing Manager Ben Benton. “SmartStax hybrids are one of the many product innovations customers can expect from us thanks to our access to the global resources and technology of Dow AgroSciences,” Benton added.

SmartStax is the industry’s most advanced corn trait platform available. SmartStax allows growers to reduce refuge while providing multiple modes of action for superior insect protection. All Triumph Seed™ SmartStax™ hybrids also contain Roundup Ready® and LibertyLink® technologies for broad-spectrum weed control.

The refuge requirement for SmartStax in this cotton-growing region of Texas is reduced from 50 percent to 20 percent, and in the corn-belt the refuge requirements for SmartStax are reduced from 20 percent to 5 percent. Growers who plant Triumph Seed SmartStax hybrids can protect more acres from pest damage and produce greater overall whole farm yield potential.

Triumph Seed, an affiliate of Dow AgroSciences, provides agronomic planting seed to producers in the Central U.S. and across the world. Focusing research and marketing efforts on corn, sunflower and grain sorghum, Triumph delivers reliable yields and consistent performance, helping producers increase their returns through higher yields, elite genetics and the latest traits available. For more information, visit: http://www.triumphseed.com.  

Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis , Indiana , USA , is a top-tier agricultural company providing innovative agrochemical and biotechnology solutions globally. The company, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, has sales of $4.5 billion. Learn more at www.dowagro.com.

SmartStax™ multi-event technology developed by Dow AgroSciences and Monsanto. SmartStax, the SmartStax Logo, YieldGard and Roundup Ready are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC.

Website: http://www.dowagro.com

Published: August 26, 2010