When talking about 2012 corn yields, one of the first things you’ll hear is that while the heat took its toll on some of the corn crop, thanks to improved genetics, the crop performed better than many expected, including Bill Mullen, Director of Agronomic Services at Seed Consultants, Inc. 

“And on a positive note, is how good these hybrids did under these circumstances,” said Mullen. Originally I was looking at 40-50 bushel corn yields, since August it seems like it has come up so where we’re going to be pushing probably on the average 90 to 110 bushel.”

Mullin also says because of the drought, he’s also hearing more customers talk drought tolerant hybrids.

“And that’s going to be part of the customers buying decisions and how these drought tolerant corn hybrids are doing and will have a portion of that in their hybrid package for next year,” Mullen said.

But when it comes to all of the yield and harvest data that will be coming out, Bill Mullen says it will be important what we glean from the information.

“We’re going to have to be very careful on how to look at this data and making sure that it’s not going to greatly influence our buying decisions for next years seed purchases,” said Mullen.

In addition to data from seed companies and universities, the Seed Consultant agronomist says farmers should be keeping their own notes as they harvest the 2012 crop.

“When we’re running the combine through the field we can make some notes, we can look at our yields, and after the field’s been harvested, look at that same hybrid or hybrids that we had in 2011,” Mullen said.

Which means basing 2013 purchasing decisions based on more than one year’s worth of data.

Audio: Bill Mullen, Agronomist, Seed Consultants, Inc. (5:35 mp3)