Get Industry-Wide 2021 Insights From Answer Plot Data

Test plots are table stakes for most seed and chemical companies. It’s simple: Growers want to see how a product will perform before they invest. WinField United Answer Plot^® locations, however, aren’t just built to facilitate sales conversations. They’re designed to dig deep and provide growers with the comprehensive insights they need to make well-rounded, well-informed decisions for their businesses.

Not Your Average Test Plot

Anyone can provide seed data, many can provide fertility data, some can even offer herbicide and adjuvant performance data. But how do you put them all together?
 
That’s where Answer Plot comes in.
 
For nearly 25 years, various hybrids, varieties, crop protection products, management practices, population densities and more have been tested at Answer Plot locations, yielding decades of detailed research. Today, there are locations across the U.S. and Canada, each carefully selected by geography to represent various field conditions and soil types of local grower farms.
 
At Answer Plot locations, we evaluate the performance of all the seed brands sold through our system, including CROPLAN® by WinField United, NK^®, Brevant^®, Asgrow^®, DEKALB^® and Pioneer^®. This comprehensive spread gives growers options and provides a strong platform to research which options would fit best on each farm. We also test nearly every crop protection product and micronutrient on the market, allowing you to see an unbiased comparison of your options and learn what works in certain conditions, what doesn’t and why. We’re not trying to prove one single product will work everywhere. We’re trying to find consistency and dial in on what works best to drive consistent performance for local needs.
 
Another unique aspect of the Answer Plot program is the response-to scoring system. Based on more than a decade of research, we’ve developed straightforward scores to help you know how any hybrid will respond to nitrogen, fungicide, population densities and corn-on-corn conditions. Response-to fungicide and response-to nitrogen scores provide a unique way to identify in-season management tactics that could enhance yields. Response-to corn-on-corn scores can help you choose the best hybrid for non-rotated acres and response-to population can help you determine optimal seeding rates.

What’s New At The Plots In 2021

About 80% of Answer Plot trials stay consistent each year so we can continue building our library of reliable data. However, whenever a new trait, product or practice hits the market, we incorporate it to ensure we’re testing all the options a grower may come across. Here are a few of the new things we’re looking at in 2021.

• The XtendFlex^® and Enlist E3^® systems: How should growers handle dicamba, glyphosate and glufosinate with these systems? What management practices work best?
• Increased focus on the total acre approach: Rather than looking at seed, fertility, crop protection and management decisions as separate conversations, we’re looking at all those factors together as a holistic system. Right now, about half of the plots have specific Advanced Acre® Rx trials to see where the approach and prescription program make the most impact.
• Soybean varieties: The soybean industry has tremendous churn when it comes to traits and varieties. To keep up with the industry, we turn over 50-70% of our soybean lineup every year. Our local plots, plus our Answer Plot data allow us to sort through these new introductions in a uniquely insightful way.
• Fertility and sustainability: Fertility capabilities and timing have evolved over the past few decades. These shifts require comprehensive data and information to make those decisions sustainable. Along with that, we’re focusing in on nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and how to incorporate it into a comprehensive systems approach. We’re also taking a closer look at the relationship between fertility and fungicides and how a coupled approach can help improve yields.  

See Trials In Action At Answer Plot Events

We don’t keep our data locked up or our plots top secret. Along with our retailers, we host Answer Plot events throughout the growing season, both in-person and virtually, to share what’s going on in real time. We also work to identify problematic trends and patterns a bit ahead of when they may show up in your fields so we can get in the plot and show you how to manage it.
 
You don’t have to wait for an event to visit an Answer Plot location, though. You can stop by any time to check on its progress. Or, better yet, take a walk through with your local WinField United retailer to see what’s going on and how you can apply those findings to your fields.  

Get Answer Plot Data

Interested in Answer Plot data? We’d be happy to share it. Simply ask your locally owned and operated WinField United retailer or reach out to a WinField United agronomist. If you’d like to stop by an Answer Plot location, find a few nearest you.
 
All photos are either the property of WinField United or used with permission.

© 2021 WinField United. Important: Before use always read and follow label instructions. Crop performance is dependent on several factors many of which are beyond the control of WinField United, including without limitation, soil type, pest pressures, agronomic practices and weather conditions. Growers are encouraged to consider data from multiple locations, over multiple years and to be mindful of how such agronomic conditions could impact results. Answer Plot, CROPLAN, Advanced Acre, and WinField are trademarks of WinField United. DEKALB and Asgrow are trademarks of Bayer Group. NK is a trademark of Syngenta. Brevant and Pioneer are trademarks of Corteva Agriscience or its affiliated companies.