Season 1, Episode 6
Proven Performance: How We Select the Right Seed for Your Acres
Harvest brings more than just bushels and waiting for the grain cart—it brings data. In this episode, Max Renk is joined by familiar voices Karl Bobholz and Alex Renk, as well as Renk Seed’s corn breeder, Bruce Nagel, to explore how we use plot results and breeding trials to shape the products that make it into your fields.
The Renk team breaks down the reasons why a single plot isn’t enough, how regional and stress-year data drive smarter long-term decisions for your acres, and how attributes like soil type, fungicide response, and tillage practices factor into the selection process. Bruce shares an inside look at our in-house breeding program with thousands of hybrids evaluated each year and the winter nurseries in Mexico that speed up our testing and product development.
Finally, the conversation turns to silage: how we evaluate tonnage, digestibility, and starch to build the Solid Choice lineup, and why consistency across environments and stressors matters more than one-year wonders.
From the Field to the Future: Turning Plot Data into Better Crops
When it comes to crop breeding and seed selection, nothing beats real-world data from the field. At Renk Seed, our team is passionate about leveraging plot trials across a wide range of locations and years, turning raw data points into the best possible products for farmers. Here’s how those conversations and insights from our recent team’s podcast transcript translate into actionable knowledge for growers—and why plot data matters more than ever.
Why So Many Plots?
Every field is unique, even when soil types and environments seem similar. That’s why our team emphasizes the need for many plots, in many locations, year after year. One year’s stress might be followed by a bumper crop, and consistent performers across locations are the real superstars. As Alex Renk puts it, “Once you see a lot of plots and varieties are consistently popping up to the top, then you know you have consistency.”
Once you see a lot of plots and varieties are consistently popping up to the top, then you know you have consistency.
Karl Bobholz adds that locations are just “dots on the map,” but each provides crucial data. More data points mean more reliable conclusions, letting us see how products perform under all kinds of conditions—including those that Mother Nature throws at us unexpectedly.
What Are We Looking For?
The process is rigorous. On the soybean side, much of the breeding and testing happens out west, while corn research spreads across the entire Corn Belt. Each product must prove itself against tough checks—top-performing hybrids and commercial lines—before it moves forward.
Bruce Nagel, head of our research team, explains that new hybrids are tested for three or four years before ever reaching potential commercialization. Out of thousands of initial candidates, only a handful make it through. And, even then, they still must perform for a few years in Renk’s test plots before being brought to market. “If it’s not beating our checks, if it’s as good, that’s not good enough. So it’s a pretty tight cut.” he says.
From the data standpoint, data is king.
Collecting—and Using—Better Data
One thing that sets Renk Seed apart is how we handle all this information. Dealer plots, research plots, F.I.R.S.T. trials, state trials—they all go into a database, treating every location as a unique data point. This allows us to do head-to-head, regional, and multi-year comparisons. As Alex notes, “From the data standpoint, data is king.”
But it’s not just yield, test weight, and moisture. Karl highlights the importance of plot attributes: Was a fungicide used? What was the fertility program? What’s the tillage method? These details allow us to match products more precisely with a grower’s unique environment.
The data is readily available on the Renk Seed website. We are transparent in our data and hope it provides insight for growers to choose the best product for their acres.
Breeding: A Long Game
Breeding new hybrids isn’t fast—it can take six or seven years from initial crossing to commercialization. Winter nurseries in Mexico and summer nurseries in the Midwest accelerate the process, but every new inbred is rigorously tested and compared to the best available genetics.
Yield is always a focus, but so is resilience. Products must bring substantial yield gains and improved agronomics—like disease resistance or standability—before making the cut. “It has to bring another six bushels on top of what we’re doing already,” Karl explains for his corn benchmarks, and it must compete with industry leaders.
Bringing It Back to the Farm
With all this data, the big question is: How does it help farmers pick the right product for their fields? Renk’s plot maps and results are publicly available, letting growers see not just regional averages but results from fields like theirs. Consistency and local adaptation are the keys—products must perform well across a wide footprint, not just in one “lucky” location.
Silage and Beyond
It’s not just about grain. Internal silage data and third-party trials help identify dual-purpose hybrids suited for livestock operations. The goal: products that deliver on tonnage, both fiber and starch digestibility, and yield. If the corn meets these requirements, then we brand it with our Silage Choice logo.
Responding to Real-World Challenges
Sometimes it’s not the high-yielding plots that matter most, but the high-stress ones. Plots hit by drought, wind or disease reveal which products have the resilience to survive and still deliver. As Karl says, “If we can take out some risk for the grower, that is where we win as a seed brand.” While Alex explains for soybeans, “If you have a plot where only one [soybean variety] is showing up as white mold, that’s a big red flag. Because we don’t want to see white mold, period.”
If we can take out some risk for the grower, that is where we win as a seed brand.
The Takeaway
Behind every Renk seed brought to market there are years of research, data collection, and tough decisions. By focusing on consistent performance, detailed plot attributes, and real-world stress testing, Renk Seed is committed to providing farmers with products that work for their unique acres—today, and for seasons to come.
