2022 Planting Update 1

As an NK Seeds district manager for Northern Illinois and Wisconsin, Karl Bobholz supports farmers who have a wide range of relative maturities and are used to rolling with the punches in the spring. While this year’s planting got off to a late start because of unseasonably cold and wet weather, as of late April, Karl reports that #PlantNK22 has provided farmers with an opportunity to catch up to 2021 pretty quickly as soon as a weather window opens, despite starting later than last year.

Bobholz reports that many of the farmers he supports are anxious to get back into the fields — and to plant NK® Field Forged Series™ corn and soybeans. “The Field Forged class of products showed great performance during the 2021 growing season, so it’s no wonder farmers are looking forward to planting Field Forged products this spring,” he says. “They’re expecting solid agronomics, stable yield performance potential and genetic diversity, and I’m confident they won’t be disappointed.

Karl Bobholz, NK District Manager’s, Corn Picks for the 2022 Growing Season

For his area’s wide maturity range, Bobholz believes that farmers will want to keep an eye on many NK Field Forged corn products this year:

NK9175-5222 offers an exceptional early disease package, consistent performance and outstanding drought tolerance in the Northern Corn Belt — a trifecta for top-end yield potential with broad adaptation.

NK0748-5122 is notable for its strong emergence and vigor in no-till planting, along with its very good stalk strength for ease of harvest. It excels in medium- to fine-textured soils.

NK1188-5122 offers dependable drought tolerance and improved weight and grain quality. Farmers will notice its attractive plant height and ear placement. This all ladders up to consistent yield potential and agronomics across environments.

NK1239-5122 is a tall and leafy hybrid that offers dual-purpose silage potential and improved plant integrity with better roots and stalks for this maturity group. Its strong agronomics with good quality makes it a good choice for higher-managed acres in the Central to Eastern Corn Belts.

Karl’s 2022 Soybean Picks

According to Bobholz, NK’s latest class of Field Forged products offers just as many strong options on the soybean side, ranging from .7 to 3.3 RM, with key products including:

NK14-W6E3 performs well on both tough ground and highly productive acres. It offers solid standability and stacked Rps1c/3a genes that provide strong tolerance to Phytophthora Root Rot. Farmers should consider this variety for Peking soybean cyst nematode protection with very good yield potential.

NK18-J7E3 features new genetics for the Enlist E3 trait platform. With its dependable drought tolerance and solid standability with very strong tolerance to Soybean White Mold, it performs well across yield environments, including highly productive fields.

NK22-C4E3 is recommended for high-pH acres. This variety performs well at any yield level and across soil types. It features the Rps1c gene for resistance to Phytophthora Root Rot with strong field tolerance, and it offers strong yield potential with broad adaption.

NK31-M7E3 is a good choice for fine-textured soils with high water-holding capacity. In addition to being broadly adapted with defensive traits, it’s stacked with Rps1k/3a Phytophthora genes, and it performs well north or south of zone.

Bobholz looks forward to supporting farmers in his area throughout the growing season ahead. Look for updates on how these corn and soybean products perform in 2022!