Tissue testing and foliar feeding can combine to help growers fine-tune in-season fertilizer applications to meet the needs of a growing corn crop. But how do the characteristics of individual hybrids influence the fertility rates growers need to apply? On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School, host Bernard Tobin catches up with PRIDE Seeds agronomist Stephanie Myslik to report on the second year of an ongoing trial designed to identify how corn hybrids respond to foliar feeding, including the potential yield impact and return on investment. In 2023, Myslik ran a trial to evaluate how tissue testing and foliar feeding could impact PRIDE hybrid A6929G4. Working with Bryan Stennett from NutriAnalytics, Myslik tissue tested at three different growth stages — V2, V7 and VT/R1.

When it comes to assessing soybean stands, it is as much an art as a science. Damage or stand loss is never uniform across a field so it is important to first try to nail down what has caused the issue and then do a stand assessment that represents the field. Soybean stand counts can be done in a couple of ways depending on row width. Counting 1/1000th of an acre: For fields on 30-inch rows, put in with a planter, you can measure 1/1000th of an acre (17feet 5 inches) and count the number of successful plants then multiply by 1000 to understand the number of plants per acre. Repeat the counts in multiple parts of the field and you can take an average. For 15 inch rows, you can use a similar process by measuring 34 feet, 10 inches. Plants/foot of row: Alternatively, counting plants per foot of row can be simpler however, it will require a lot of replications and a practiced eye to make a solid assessment. See the table below to convert the number of plants counted in a row to the appropriate number of plants per acre. I would suggest counting about 5 feet of row in each spot and doing the proper division.

When it comes to assessing soybean stands, it is as much an art as a science. Damage or stand loss is never uniform across a field so it is important to first try to nail down what has caused the issue and then do a stand assessment that represents the field. Soybean stand counts can be done in a couple of ways depending on row width. 1. Counting 1/1000th of an acre: For fields on 30-inch rows, put in with a planter, you can measure 1/1000th of an acre (17feet 5 inches) and count the number of successful plants then multiply by 1000 to understand the number of plants per acre. Repeat the counts in multiple parts of the field and you can take an average. For 15 inch rows, you can use a similar process by measuring 34 feet, 10 inches. 2. Plants/foot of row: Alternatively, counting plants per foot of row can be simpler however, it will require a lot of replications and a practiced eye to make a solid assessment. See the table below to convert the number of plants counted in a row to the appropriate number of plants per acre. I would suggest counting about 5 feet of row in each spot and doing the proper division.

When planting is delayed due to weather or other factors, farmers must reconsider their crop plans—particularly in adjusting Crop Heat Units (CHUs) to match the shortened growing season. Choosing the right hybrid for corn and soybeans becomes even more critical, as delayed planting can negatively affect yield, pest resistance, and crop maturity before the first frost. For corn, it's generally recommended to reduce hybrid maturity by 100 CHUs per week of delay past the regional cutoff date, with specific adjustment timelines depending on local CHU zones. Soybeans, being sensitive to day length, also require careful management, and planting past June 15 may necessitate reducing CHU expectations by 100–200. Additional strategies like increasing seeding rates and using narrower row spacing can help optimize late-planted soybeans. Ultimately, while general guidelines exist, growers should monitor local conditions and consult with agronomists to make the best hybrid and management decisions.

1. Uniform Emergence Consistent planting depth ensures uniform emergence, which is essential for even crop development and maximum yield. If seeds are planted at varying depths, some may emerge earlier than others, leading to uneven competition for sunlight, nutrients, and water. Delayed or uneven emergence can reduce yield potential because early-emerging plants tend to dominate latecomers, shading them out and outcompeting them.

Stephanie Myslik, Sales Agronomist at PRIDE Seeds, discusses the significance of proper seed orientation during planting and its impact on crop performance

Twenty years ago, soybeans seemed an easy crop to grow. They didn’t need fertilizer, glyphosate-resistant varieties were abundant and soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and Phytophthora root rot (PRR) were the primary disease threats. Today, more growers are fertilizing their soybeans, the selection of herbicide-tolerant traits is broader and SCN and sudden death syndrome (SDS) are the prominent diseases. Yet discussions about diseases tend to focus more on conditions in the U.S. Midwest or southern Ontari

Stephanie Myslik, sales agronomist with Pride Seeds, is using NutriAg’s NutriAnalytics system to enhance fertilizer recommendations for corn and soybeans. Through tissue tests and data analytics, her research helps farmers understand nutrient interactions and hybrid-specific returns, aiming to optimize yields while minimizing costs.

From unpredictable weather to new disease threats, growers are reflecting on the lessons of 2024 to make more informed decisions and build resilience for the year ahead.

Does the seed size impact the potential yield growers can expect to combine? On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School, PRIDE Seeds agronomist Olivia Noorenberghe notes that all seed, regardless of size, carries the same genetic yield potential.

🌱✨ Celebrating 75 Years of Legacy & Innovation! ✨🌱 For 75 years, PRIDE Seeds has been a leader in the seed industry, shaping the future of agriculture with every harvest. From pioneering new seed varieties to supporting farmers with cutting-edge agronomy, the legacy continues to grow. 💪🌽 Join, Matt Reaume, Economic Development Officer with the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, as he teams up with Stephanie Myslik, Sales Agronomist, and Matt Chapple, Product & Agronomy Manager for PRIDE Seeds, to reflect on the lasting impact PRIDE Seeds has had on the farming community and how their commitment to innovation and quality has helped shape the future of agriculture. Here's to 75 years of cultivating success, driving innovation, and planting the seeds for a thriving future! 🎉🌱

Welcome Jeremy O'Shea to the PRIDE Seeds team!

In this episode of RealAgriculture's Corn School, Aidan Filipchuk of Pride Seeds discusses some of the contributing factors to choosing a silage hybrid. Matching the final use, such as for just silage or for grazing, and for dairy or beef cattle, with standability and growing season length will have a direct impact on the eventual success of the crop

As tar spot continues to spread northeast across Ontario's corn region, growers are looking to build a better defence against the yield-robbing leaf disease. Crop genetics and fungicide will likely be the one-two punch growers use to control the disease, which is characterized by tar-like speckling on the upper surface of corn leaves. The fungal pathogen has been delivering yield hits ranging from 20 to 60 bushels per acre (in highly infected fields) since it was first identified in Indiana and Illinois in 2015.

2025 marks a remarkable milestone—75 years of PRIDE Seeds leading the charge in genetics and innovation within the agricultural industry. Founded with a vision to support farmers and enhance crop productivity, PRIDE Seeds has been at the forefront of agricultural advancement, consistently delivering high-quality seed varieties tailored to the unique needs of growers.

Effective fertility and nutrient management begins with a grower understanding each fields' soil type, as this plays a large role in the cation exchange capacity (CEC), which is the main tool for managing nitrogen holding capacity and will impact fertilizer application timings, says Aidan Filipchuk of PRIDE Seeds.

In this Corn School, Aidan Filipchuk of PRIDE Seeds explains that tillers can be a sign of ideal growing conditions. A lot of sunlight and an abundance of nutrients is one of three potential causes. Another source of tillers, otherwise known as suckers, is early stress in the corn. Wind, hail, insects, or being run over by the sprayer, can all cause stress to the emerging plants.

As the 2024 Ontario corn crop races to the finish line with help from a late summer stretch of hot weather, growers are now seeing the challenges created by spring planting conditions and pest and disease pressures. In some parts of the province, growers were able to get corn in the ground in late April, but wet conditions pushed a good portion of provincial planting into late May and well into June in some areas. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School, host Bernard Tobin and PRIDE Seeds agronomist Olivia Noorenberghe discuss the 2024 corn crop and how the lengthy planting window, and the widespread variability it’s created, will impact harvest.

Corn rootworm (CRW) has become an increasingly prevalent pest for Ontario and Quebec continuous corn growers. Significant yield losses can occur from CRW larvae, as feeding larvae will clip the corn plant’s roots which causes inhibition of water and nutrient uptake early on, as well as lodging later in season. It is estimated that up to 18% yield loss can be expected per node of roots clipped1.

On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School, host Bernard Tobin is joined by PRIDE Seeds product manager Matt Chapple for a look at what seed companies can do to test for ear rot susceptibility to ensure hybrids have a strong defence against ear mould.