From plant to harvest: Iowa grower talks Poncho® Votivo® 2.0 seed treatment system*

With unpredictable weather, Iowa grower’s corn crop defeats the odds

Jason Durschmidt is a fourth-generation farmer from Fort Dodge, Iowa. He owns a 3,400-acre farm, growing soybeans and corn. In 2018, Durschmidt used the Poncho®/VOTiVO® 2.0 seed treatment system* on a portion of his corn acres for the first time and learned some interesting insights throughout the year, starting with planting.

 

“We use seed treatments because we try to plant as early as possible,” said Durschmidt. “The early season root development is what gets the plant going and determines how it’s going to grow throughout the year.”

 

Once the crop began to emerge, Durschmidt could immediately see his decision paid off. “We’ve noticed more root growth, more fibers off the root and deeper roots reaching down to essential moisture and nutrients,” he said.

By the time Durschmidt’s fields were ready for harvest, Iowa had experienced tough weather anomalies such as strong winds and continuous rain throughout the growing season.

 

“The corn never really had a dry root system,” Durschmidt said. “We had two dry weeks this summer; otherwise, the corn has been under water almost all year, and it’s stood very well for what it’s been through. Even with the wet year we’ve had, we saw better early root growth, and I think the corn was better able to utilize the nutrients that were available without having to put down a deeper system.”

 

The corn stalks were put to the test in late August, when a strong wind blew through Fort Dodge, reaching nearly 60 mph. Durschmidt said, “I’ve got a lot of corn that lodged this year, due to the strong winds. But I didn’t see any lodging on the Poncho® Votivo® 2.0* corn.”

 

Even with the weather conditions this year, Durschmidt said, “We’ll have a higher return than the untreated corn. More than anything this year, we’re seeing better stalk integrity. It has stood up and held through the wet weather we’ve had. We’re not having to pick corn up off the ground. That’s a huge impact.”

 

In looking ahead to the 2019 season, Durschmidt said, “I plan on using Poncho® Votivo® 2.0* because we had excellent results with it this year,” he said. “And going forward, I hope we have the same results.”

You can listen to the extended radio interview with Jason here.

 

To learn more about Poncho® Votivo® 2.0*, please visit ponchovotivo2.com.

 

Always read and follow label directions.

 

Poncho and Votivo are registered trademarks of BASF. © 2019 BASF Corporation. All rights reserved. Poncho Votivo 2.0 is a seed treatment system composed of the federally registered Poncho Votivo and the state registered TWO.O.

 

Please feel free to utilize these articles in their current form. For more information, including requests for imagery, quotes, bylined articles or conducting further interviews, contact Katie Mickschl at kmickschl@periscope.com.

 

About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division
With a rapidly growing population, the world is increasingly dependent on our ability to develop and maintain sustainable agriculture and healthy environments. Working with farmers, agricultural professionals, pest management experts and others, it is our role to help make this possible. That’s why we invest in a strong R&D pipeline and broad portfolio, including seeds and traits, chemical and biological crop protection, soil management, plant health, pest control and digital farming. With expert teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we connect innovative thinking and down-to-earth action to create real world ideas that work – for farmers, society and the planet. In 2018, our division generated sales of €6.2 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or any of our social media channels.

 

About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.

 

©2019 BASF Corporation. All Rights Reserved.