March Hybrid of the Month
Mar 11, 2025
Mike Tufte
Seed Specialist
It's March! Mother Nature decided she wanted to come in like a lion. If the old wives’ tale is true, she’ll go out like a lamb. That would be ideal for us as agriculturists, and as Iowa State basketball fans. March Madness is almost here, and we’ve found ourselves falling down the rankings. How do we set ourselves up for a successful run in the Big Dance? This month, Andrew Goemaat, agronomist at our Newton location, will be your coach and explain how utilizing one of his favorite hybrids can help take you the distance.
Andrew has been a valued member of the Key agronomy team since 2021 but has been a part of the Key family for a few years longer. While pursuing his Ag degree from Iowa State, Andrew spent two summers interning with us at our Grinnell location. He even spent some time helping with operations, giving him a better understanding of all the aspects of agronomy. He is now the agronomist at our Newton location. In his free time, you can find Andrew helping on his family’s farm near New Sharon or watching Iowa State with his wife, Nicole, and their beautiful new daughter.
I asked Andrew which hybrid really resonates with him in his territory. He wanted to shine the spotlight on Dekalb’s DKC114-99VT4Pro. Before we dive into the hybrid itself, I’d like to refresh you on the VT4 trait that was new to us last year. This trait gives us excellent above-ground and good below-ground protection. What sets a VT4 apart from your typical SmartStax is that breeders were able to isolate an older trait that was difficult to work with and replace it with new RNAi technology that gives us better overall control and less yield drag. Additionally, you’ll see an enhanced seed treatment of Poncho 1250 and Acceleron N-314 on the seed tag. These give you increased protection against insects and nematodes, as well as improved plant health. The new N-314 will be standard on all VT4 and SmartStax Pro products moving forward.
Now that we’ve watched the film, and understand what VT4 is, let’s head down for the tip-off! As the whistle blows, you’ll notice that DKC114-99 is quick out of the ground and has some decent seedling growth. It’ll win 75 percent of your tip-offs but it isn’t the quickest option. There will be faster jumpers out there to rely on if you have a tough matchup. Ultimately, we’re looking for a final stand around 34,000. We may need to wait for proper soil conditions to make sure we get that 34,000, but it will be well worth it.
What this hybrid lacks in absolute speed, it makes up for in root and stalk strength. This plant stands tall and proud with excellent anchors holding it down. It’s like Dishon Jackson down in the paint. He’s a force. He might not get all the glory or media coverage, but he does his job, and he does his job efficiently. This root system penetrates deep and helps us build strong drought tolerance. Without that presence down low, the rest of the plan is compromised. It’s crucial to control the inside.
DKC114-99 responds to management well. It has already been genetically gifted with excellent plant health, but what if we add a fungicide? Well, that’d be similar to having Tamin Lipsey, the all-time leader in steals, and Keshon Gilbert walk in. They’re here to supplement “J-Dubs” (Jefferson and Jackson). More protection is never a bad thing, and now you’ve got a decent defense against all those pesky diseases. Whether we’re talking about Tarspot, Rust, or Anthracnose, these fungicides are running a full court press. Chances of getting through that wall are slim.
We’ve got strong roots and stalks, great disease control and management, but I feel like we’re still missing something. Oh, you didn’t think I was going to forget about the offense, did you? If you recall from before, I mentioned that breeders were able to trade out an older trait that had yield drag. With the germplasm we’re playing with, we expect some top-end potential. I’m talking about 3-point buzzer beaters. We’ve got a little surprise coming off the bench, just for this. He goes by the name of Curtis Jones for Iowa State, or Mr. Nitrogen for the agronomy world. He’s our offensive monster. Field goal after field goal, Nitrogen is sinking baskets at a rate of 18-20 kernels around. His depth is unmatched. He’s driving hard and packing those kernels tight. DKC114-99 likes to fill its kernels to the tip. If you have late season nitrogen available, this product will have a very minimal dent in each kernel. That gives us some of the best test weight on the market today. Given a year like last, and you might be raising some corn heavier than ever before, and A LOT of it. “This is one of the highest yielding products on the market,” explained Andrew. “It’s a great option for the National Corn Growers Association yield contest!”
DKC114-99RIB comes in a VT4Pro package that offers flexibility on rotational placement. It brings us excellent roots, stalks, and field appearance. “We have learned that this product has extremely high yield potential,” said Andrew. If we manage fertility and fungicide, we can push the ceiling to levels never seen before...I’m thinking the Final Four sounds nice!
This product gives you all the offensive and defensive aspects you’ll need for the Big Dance. Let your Key Cooperative agronomist be your Coach Otzelberger, helping you manage and place it correctly. With a winning combination like that, you could very likely be cutting down your own net at harvest time!
May luck be on your side with your bracket this year. GO STATE!
Seed Specialist
DKC 114-99 VT4P
It's March! Mother Nature decided she wanted to come in like a lion. If the old wives’ tale is true, she’ll go out like a lamb. That would be ideal for us as agriculturists, and as Iowa State basketball fans. March Madness is almost here, and we’ve found ourselves falling down the rankings. How do we set ourselves up for a successful run in the Big Dance? This month, Andrew Goemaat, agronomist at our Newton location, will be your coach and explain how utilizing one of his favorite hybrids can help take you the distance. Andrew has been a valued member of the Key agronomy team since 2021 but has been a part of the Key family for a few years longer. While pursuing his Ag degree from Iowa State, Andrew spent two summers interning with us at our Grinnell location. He even spent some time helping with operations, giving him a better understanding of all the aspects of agronomy. He is now the agronomist at our Newton location. In his free time, you can find Andrew helping on his family’s farm near New Sharon or watching Iowa State with his wife, Nicole, and their beautiful new daughter.
I asked Andrew which hybrid really resonates with him in his territory. He wanted to shine the spotlight on Dekalb’s DKC114-99VT4Pro. Before we dive into the hybrid itself, I’d like to refresh you on the VT4 trait that was new to us last year. This trait gives us excellent above-ground and good below-ground protection. What sets a VT4 apart from your typical SmartStax is that breeders were able to isolate an older trait that was difficult to work with and replace it with new RNAi technology that gives us better overall control and less yield drag. Additionally, you’ll see an enhanced seed treatment of Poncho 1250 and Acceleron N-314 on the seed tag. These give you increased protection against insects and nematodes, as well as improved plant health. The new N-314 will be standard on all VT4 and SmartStax Pro products moving forward.
Now that we’ve watched the film, and understand what VT4 is, let’s head down for the tip-off! As the whistle blows, you’ll notice that DKC114-99 is quick out of the ground and has some decent seedling growth. It’ll win 75 percent of your tip-offs but it isn’t the quickest option. There will be faster jumpers out there to rely on if you have a tough matchup. Ultimately, we’re looking for a final stand around 34,000. We may need to wait for proper soil conditions to make sure we get that 34,000, but it will be well worth it.
What this hybrid lacks in absolute speed, it makes up for in root and stalk strength. This plant stands tall and proud with excellent anchors holding it down. It’s like Dishon Jackson down in the paint. He’s a force. He might not get all the glory or media coverage, but he does his job, and he does his job efficiently. This root system penetrates deep and helps us build strong drought tolerance. Without that presence down low, the rest of the plan is compromised. It’s crucial to control the inside.
"This product is a VT4, so we get maximum yield potential on first or second year corn-on-corn. It has great plant health all season long, but still dries down in a timely manner, ready for the combines to roll.”
During the growing season, DKC114-99 shows off its excellent plant health. “It’s a very pretty plant throughout the entire season,” said Andrew. It has that big, leafy, dark green, showy Dekalb germplasm on display, but it still dries down in time for the combines to roll. It’s not the tallest plant out there, but it does have some height to it and likes to place its ear on the higher side of average. Think of Josh Jefferson. He has the height he needs, and then some. But he’s still agile! He can reach up and pull that ball down, much like this leafy plant can grab more sunlight. Photosynthesis is the driving force for the entire plant factory and this hybrid’s height benefits it here. But what about the supplemental stuff?DKC114-99 responds to management well. It has already been genetically gifted with excellent plant health, but what if we add a fungicide? Well, that’d be similar to having Tamin Lipsey, the all-time leader in steals, and Keshon Gilbert walk in. They’re here to supplement “J-Dubs” (Jefferson and Jackson). More protection is never a bad thing, and now you’ve got a decent defense against all those pesky diseases. Whether we’re talking about Tarspot, Rust, or Anthracnose, these fungicides are running a full court press. Chances of getting through that wall are slim.
We’ve got strong roots and stalks, great disease control and management, but I feel like we’re still missing something. Oh, you didn’t think I was going to forget about the offense, did you? If you recall from before, I mentioned that breeders were able to trade out an older trait that had yield drag. With the germplasm we’re playing with, we expect some top-end potential. I’m talking about 3-point buzzer beaters. We’ve got a little surprise coming off the bench, just for this. He goes by the name of Curtis Jones for Iowa State, or Mr. Nitrogen for the agronomy world. He’s our offensive monster. Field goal after field goal, Nitrogen is sinking baskets at a rate of 18-20 kernels around. His depth is unmatched. He’s driving hard and packing those kernels tight. DKC114-99 likes to fill its kernels to the tip. If you have late season nitrogen available, this product will have a very minimal dent in each kernel. That gives us some of the best test weight on the market today. Given a year like last, and you might be raising some corn heavier than ever before, and A LOT of it. “This is one of the highest yielding products on the market,” explained Andrew. “It’s a great option for the National Corn Growers Association yield contest!”
DKC114-99RIB comes in a VT4Pro package that offers flexibility on rotational placement. It brings us excellent roots, stalks, and field appearance. “We have learned that this product has extremely high yield potential,” said Andrew. If we manage fertility and fungicide, we can push the ceiling to levels never seen before...I’m thinking the Final Four sounds nice!
This product gives you all the offensive and defensive aspects you’ll need for the Big Dance. Let your Key Cooperative agronomist be your Coach Otzelberger, helping you manage and place it correctly. With a winning combination like that, you could very likely be cutting down your own net at harvest time!
May luck be on your side with your bracket this year. GO STATE!