The Pioneer Planting Rate Estimator.

DuPont Pioneer has been conducting plant population studies with corn hybrids for over three decades. Pioneer researchers target representative environments based on maturity zone, expected yield (high or low), specific stresses, and other unique location characteristics. Additionally, hundreds of on-farm Pioneer^® GrowingPoint^®agronomy seeding rate trials are conducted each year comparing multiple corn products. These studies show that corn hybrid response to plant population varies by yield level, with the seeding rate required to maximize yield increasing as yield level increases.

 The DuPont Pioneer Planting Rate Estimator, available on www.pioneer.com and as a free mobile app, allows users to generate estimated optimum seeding rates for Pioneer^®brand corn products based on data from these trials.  The 2016 version of the Planting Rate Estimator has the ability to display plant population response curves for a greater range of yield levels, which provides expanded utility for creating variable rate seeding prescriptions. Using quantile regression techniques, it is now possible to display plant population response curves at 10 bu/acre increments for all yield levels where there was a statistically significant response based on the available research data. Users can now display up to three response curves based on any combination of hybrids, yield levels, grain prices, and seed costs. There is also the option of selecting a “Water-Limited Sites” version of the planting rate estimator, which includes data from studies conducted in drought environments in the western U.S.

Growers should use the Planting Rate Estimator as an initial guide and work with their Pioneer sales professional for refinements based on local observations and on-farm trials.