David Hula breaks world corn yield record

David Hula is no stranger to high yielding fields. This season, he shattered the world corn yield record of 542 bushels per acre – which was also set by Hula in 2017 – with 616 bushels per acre. Hula attributes his success to always incorporating the latest innovations on his fields to help achieve these record yields.

BASF’s leading corn fungicide, Headline AMP^® fungicide, has been Hula’s fungicide of choice for many years. This year in addition to Headline AMP fungicide, Hula used BASF’s newest Plant Health product, Veltyma^™ fungicide, on his record-breaking field.

“We’ve been using BASF fungicides on our fields for years and have seen consistant positive results over time,” said Hula. “This year, we tested the new fungicide technology BASF offers, and had healthier fields and outstanding results in our corn crop this season.”

Hula is in good company, joining Georgia farmer Randy Dowdy as the second grower to set a world yield record in 2019. Randy again broke the world soybean yield record by incorporating both Priaxor^™ fungicide and Revytek^™ fungicide on his fields to achieve a yield of 190 bu/A.

“A lot of the time when growers are thinking about what inputs they can forego, fungicides are at the top of that list,” said Hula. “But, in our experience, fungicides are not optional and should be carefully and proactively incorporated into the growing season, even when diseases aren’t showing in your field. The increased Plant Health we get from from BASF fungicides has certainly played a role in, not only in our high yielding environments, but in our traditional production, as well.”

By using fungicides, growers can help remove the factors that limit them from breaking yield records. BASF Plant Health fungicides help reduce stressors from, not only fungal diseases, but also adverse environmental conditions like heat, drought and hail. These products actually increase antioxidant production in the plant allowing the crop to focus on growing efficiently and creating yield.

“Each year, there will always be stress that crops need to battle,” said Dr. Josh Miller, BASF Technical Marketing Manager. “With Veltyma fungicide, you get the full benefits of BASF Plant Health with disease control and mitigation of environmental stresses to boost corn productivity. These benefits help protect growers’ corn crops from whatever Mother Nature throws at them.”

Incorporating Veltyma fungicide throughout the growing season will help growers achieve their healthiest, most productive crop possible. Veltyma fungicide’s performance is swift, providing quick uptake and fast binding for exceptional curative activity. When using the product, growers should feel secure knowing that the residual activity in combination with the Plant Health benefits from Veltyma fungicide are working to maximize the health of their crops. This helps ensure growers’ corn plants are protected for a longer period of time.

David and Randy aren’t the only growers experiencing the benefits of BASF’s latest fungicide innovations this year. In 2019, prior to the launch of Veltyma and Revytek fungicides, BASF launched the RevX Fields trial program on more than 1,400 farms across the country. Growers who participated in the trial program were able to experience the difference that Veltyma and Revytek fungicides can make on fields and yields.

“We understand that there are a lot of farmers out there that aren’t sure whether fungicides will work for them, and they are tired of relying on data provided by the manufacturer telling them that they have the best product,” said Miller. “We wanted to change that with the introduction of Veltyma and Revytek fungicides. We will be launching an interactive trial map where anyone can log on and see how BASF Plant Health products performed against other fungicides or an untreated check in fields near them.”

Both Veltyma and Revytek fungicides are powered by the latest BASF fungicide active ingredient, Revysol^® fungicide. The results on David’s, Randy’s, and the RevX fields show that these new fungicide innovations contributed to growers breaking yields across the country. See all the results from this year at RevXFields.com.

To learn more, visit Veltyma.com or Revytek.com.

Always read and follow label directions. Veltyma fungicide and Revytek fungicide may not be registered for sale or use in all states. Please check with your state or local Extension Service. Headline AMP and Revysol are registered trademarks and Priaxor, Revytek and Veltyma are trademarks of BASF.

Photo by Progressive Farmer.

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.