Elk Mound Seed Company Introduction
Elk Mound Seed A Brief History Originally a feed elevator Zutter Elevators, 1940-1960 Later known as Elk Mound Feed & Farm Supply Renamed Elk Mound Seed in the late 80s Today, our primary focus is seed
Product Offerings Seed Corn Pilgrim Traited EMS Conventional Soybeans Alfalfa Biogene RR2Y and RR2X Conventional and RoundUp Ready Forage Grasses Small Grains and Pea Blends Cover Crops Native Grasses and Forbs
Our Seed Corn Program Began in the early 2000s Started with only conventional hybrids In 2005, became licensed with Agrisure Traits, a subsidiary of Syngenta Transgenic products are labeled under our Pilgrim brand Conventional - EMS We are licensed with 4 genetic suppliers Gives us a diverse portfolio of genetics Hybrids range from 77-107 day
How We Select Our Hybrids Evaluate 100 s of hybrids across the upper Midwest Genetic suppliers plots On-farm trials Cooperative trials with institutions and other seed companies
What We Look For Yield Obviously! Grain Quality Drydown Factors That Protect Yield Standability Stalks Roots Greensnap Plant Health Disease Resistance Emergence & Early Vigor Adaptation West, Central, East Silage Quantity/Quality Producibility
What Goes into a Bag of Seed Corn? 1. Elk Mound Seed contracts a specific amount of units of a specific Male x Female hybrid. 2. Male and female inbreds are planted separately 3. Female rows are detasseled to prevent self pollination 4. Pollen from the male tassels fertilize the female silks 5. Male rows are destroyed once pollination is complete 6. Ears on the female plants are picked and dried 7. Ears are shelled 8. Seed is then cleaned, graded by size, treated, and then bagged.
What Sets us Apart? We rely heavily on our genetic suppliers to provide us a diverse and competitive germplasm This gives us opportunities to place unique hybrids on the right farms Many failed hybrids are great products in the wrong place Educating our growers on how to manage each hybrid on THEIR farm
What We Look For in Silage Hybrids
Corn Silage Variety Selection Dual purpose Leafy More leaves above the cob, leaves and stalk above the cob are more digestible. Lower grain/stover ratios Leafy/Floury Leafy hybrids with floury grain texture. Less vitreous endosperm and more floury endosperm. Results in higher starch digestibility. Pay attention to staygreen ratings Longer harvest windows Slower grain dry down will also result in longer harvest window Also good indicator of plant health
Corn Silage Variety Selection Maturity On average, growers will choose hybrids 5-10 days later than their typical grain varieties Ask your seedsman Some seed companies will label silage-specific varieties 5-10 days earlier than their grain ratings GDU s to black layer Plant Population Higher plant populations will typically result in higher tonnage Can expose stalk quality issues May result in higher lignin
Corn Silage Variety Selection What contributes to quality? Grain More starch Kernel composition Floury kernel texture will result in higher starch digestibility Lignin content
Managing Corn Silage - Variety Selection Quality vs. Tonnage Milk/Ton Weighs heavily on silage quality Milk/Acre Weighs heavily on silage quantity, not a great indicator of quality
Corn Plant Components & Quality Corn Plant Components Tassel < 1% Of dry matter 78.4% NDF 1.2% of total NDF Leaf sheaths 6.1% of dry Matter 78.1% NDF 10.2% of Total NDF Husks 5.8% of dry matter 80.5% NDF 11.1% of total NDF Stalk 18.3% of dry matter 66.5% NDF 27.4% of total NDF Leaf Blades 8.5% of dry matter 66.7% NDF 12.8% of total NDF Cob 12.1% of dry matter 89.3%NDF 24.4% of total NDF Grain 48.5% of dry matter 11.8% NDF 12.9% of total NDF Detergent Fiber(NDF) and Digestibility of NDF (IVNDF).
Tassel < 1% of Dry Matter Leave Sheaths 5-7% of Dry Matter Leave Blades 7-9% of Dry Matter Cob 11-13% of Dry Matter Grain 55-62% of Dry Matter Husk 5-6% of Dry Matter Stalks 15-21% of Dry Matter
Biogene Soybeans Maturities range from 1.1 to 2.1 Earlier and later varieties available by request RR2Y and RR2X technologies Long track record of excellent performance on farm and in University of Wisconsin Soybean Trials.
Alfalfa & Forage Grasses 4 Alfalfa Brands Resistor, FD 4, WH 2, 35/35 DRI, 34% coated Excelsior, FD 4, WH 2.0, 35/35 DRI Megaleaf, FD 2.7, WH 2.0, 30/30 DRI Leader, FD 2.0, WH 1.8, 26/30 DRI We always strive to have the most up-todate and improved varieties of forage grasses.
Cover Crops Custom Mixing NO COST Non-Legume Broadleaves Legumes Buster Radish Crimson Clover Canola Berseem Clover Turnips Balansa Clover Buckwheat Peas Phacelia Vetch Grasses Sunn Hemp Cereal Rye Winter Wheat Oats Sorghum-Sudan Winter Triticale Italian Ryegrass
Other Products Conventional Soybeans Small Grains Pea Blends Peas/Oats Peas/Barley Peas/Triticale Turf Grass Native Grasses Wildflowers and Forbs