The Science of Artesian Corn
Syngenta researchers reflect on the discovery and development efforts that have contributed to the success of Artesian corn hybrids.
Given this season’s excessive rain throughout much of the Corn Belt,
choosing a 2016 corn hybrid based on its ability to optimize water may
seem counterintuitive. But 2015’s rainfall underscores the reality that
weather remains the most unpredictable factor in growing a successful
crop, explains Duane Martin, Ph.D., commercial traits lead at Syngenta.
Fortunately for growers, the benefits of water-optimized Agrisure Artesian® corn hybrids from Syngenta are twofold. During years like 2015, when in-season rainfall is sufficient to grow a successful crop, Artesian™ hybrids deliver top-end yield. And during seasons when available water is limited, they have demonstrated a nearly 12 percent yield advantage over non-Artesian hybrids. Much of the success can be attributed to the research and development (R&D) efforts that helped produce this elite lineup of hybrids—and the contributions of the Syngenta native traits water optimization team.
More Listening, Less Talking
There’s a reason why Syngenta took a native gene approach when the company’s water optimization R&D efforts in corn commenced a decade ago. By that time, advances in biotechnology had produced hybrids that could deliver specific outcomes, such as resisting herbicides and controlling pests. Building a hybrid to manage water stress, however, was different. Researchers agreed that a successful outcome would require a sophisticated understanding of how water stress affects corn at the gene level. It would be difficult and inefficient, they reasoned, to begin breeding plants to manage water stress without knowing more about the nature of the stress they were trying to manage.
"Studying native traits allows corn to teach us how it has adapted to respond to stress," says Adrian Lund, Ph.D., a principal research scientist and plant physiologist on the genetics team at Syngenta. "Biotechnologists sometimes assume they know everything about corn—and thus we believe we can tell corn exactly what we want it to do. While this approach has been successful in some cases, we are finding that there is so much more we can learn when we stop telling corn what we want it to do and start listening to what it’s trying to tell us. The true power of native trait technology is that we now can rapidly identify and combine the best of these ancient adaptive strategies into modern high-performance corn hybrid products."
During the discovery stage, Syngenta scientists analyze the native corn genome to identify genes that are involved in the ability to manage water stress. According to Allison Weber, Ph.D., senior research scientist at Syngenta, it’s a tedious yet rewarding endeavor. "Discovering and understanding how a gene contributes to a drought-tolerant Artesian hybrid is uncovering part of the truth," she says. "As a scientist, that’s an exciting feeling."
Testing for Stress Management
The groundwork for Artesian hybrids begins in a lab, but it doesn’t end there. Genes that test well for stress management during discovery become "candidate genes." Syngenta researchers then evaluate hybrids containing these genes at Managed Stress Environment (MSE) sites around the world to determine whether the genes will perform in a field setting.
"The main purpose of operating MSE sites is to replicate our trials in real-world environments," says Christine Chaulk-Grace, lead North America MSE trialing and station manager at Syngenta.
One of the MSE sites Chaulk-Grace manages is in LaSalle, Colorado. It is the first Syngenta research site dedicated to testing crops in managed
The researchers at MSE sites communicate field observations and performance results to Syngenta corn breeders, who then move validated genes into hybrids with compatible genetic backgrounds.
Shepherding Artesian hybrids from discovery to development—and then to commercialization—is a defining career highlight for the LaSalle research team, says Aubrey Weiland, associate scientist at Syngenta. For the past nine years—spanning much of the native traits water-optimization effort—Weiland has monitored, managed and harvested the trials. "When you work on a project like this with such intensity, it’s really exciting to know that actual growers are benefiting from the technology," she says.
Optimizing the Conversion of Water to Grain
About 115 miles east of the LaSalle MSE site is Yuma County, Colorado—consistently ranked among the top corn-producing counties in the nation. Here, the Ogallala Aquifer, which nourishes much of the High Plains, provides the lifeblood for crops, as center pivot irrigation units transform the landscape from dry prairie grasses to vibrant green circles of crops.
Syngenta Seed Advisor™ and grower Nathan Armstrong, who maintains a 2,500-acre operation in Yuma County, recognizes that the aquifer is a finite resource. Doing his part to help extend its life, he embraces wireless irrigation management technology and agronomic practices that help him apply irrigation wisely.
In 2014, Armstrong planted Golden Harvest® Corn hybrid G07B39 Artesian brand in one field. "I love that hybrid," he says. "It ended up being my highest-yielding field. And this hybrid simply doesn’t need as much water, so I don’t need to apply as much irrigation. I’ve found that, from my experience, it requires about 30 percent less water than other hybrids because it uses water so much more efficiently."
The ability to achieve optimal yields while saving a significant amount of water motivated Armstrong to convert 70 percent of his corn acres to G07B39 Artesian in 2015.
Growers across the entire Corn Belt report that Artesian hybrids help them manage gaps in rainfall better than other hybrids—and that the plant’s ability to optimize the conversion of water to grain translates to improved yield consistency. "I like the fact that an Artesian hybrid is very consistent across every acre that we plant here," says Mitch Agre, a Syngenta Seed Advisor and grower from Sacred Heart, Minnesota. "We can plant it on corn-on-corn acres, less productive acres—even sandy ground—and it seems to do all right. We don’t have to worry about running out of water in the middle of the summer, as that hybrid will kick into high gear for us and help finish out the season."
Previous
Next
The Next Wave
As growers like Armstrong and Agre embrace Artesian technology as a simple, effective way to manage the unpredictability of weather, the Syngenta native traits water optimization team continues to actively research, identify and validate additional genes. "The pipeline works, and we want to extend it," says Dirk Benson, Ph.D., head of seeds product development at Syngenta.
The Artesian footprint now extends beyond North America, having been launched as HYVIDO® corn in southeastern Europe. Other regions anticipating Artesian product launches in the coming years include Latin America and Southeast Asia.
"We’re in a great place," says Ben Ford, Ph.D., germplasm team lead at Syngenta. "As part of the breeding team, it’s exciting to develop such an elite lineup of hybrids. When growers are seeing success, it’s that much more fulfilling."
Fortunately for growers, the benefits of water-optimized Agrisure Artesian® corn hybrids from Syngenta are twofold. During years like 2015, when in-season rainfall is sufficient to grow a successful crop, Artesian™ hybrids deliver top-end yield. And during seasons when available water is limited, they have demonstrated a nearly 12 percent yield advantage over non-Artesian hybrids. Much of the success can be attributed to the research and development (R&D) efforts that helped produce this elite lineup of hybrids—and the contributions of the Syngenta native traits water optimization team.
More Listening, Less Talking
There’s a reason why Syngenta took a native gene approach when the company’s water optimization R&D efforts in corn commenced a decade ago. By that time, advances in biotechnology had produced hybrids that could deliver specific outcomes, such as resisting herbicides and controlling pests. Building a hybrid to manage water stress, however, was different. Researchers agreed that a successful outcome would require a sophisticated understanding of how water stress affects corn at the gene level. It would be difficult and inefficient, they reasoned, to begin breeding plants to manage water stress without knowing more about the nature of the stress they were trying to manage.
"Studying native traits allows corn to teach us how it has adapted to respond to stress," says Adrian Lund, Ph.D., a principal research scientist and plant physiologist on the genetics team at Syngenta. "Biotechnologists sometimes assume they know everything about corn—and thus we believe we can tell corn exactly what we want it to do. While this approach has been successful in some cases, we are finding that there is so much more we can learn when we stop telling corn what we want it to do and start listening to what it’s trying to tell us. The true power of native trait technology is that we now can rapidly identify and combine the best of these ancient adaptive strategies into modern high-performance corn hybrid products."
During the discovery stage, Syngenta scientists analyze the native corn genome to identify genes that are involved in the ability to manage water stress. According to Allison Weber, Ph.D., senior research scientist at Syngenta, it’s a tedious yet rewarding endeavor. "Discovering and understanding how a gene contributes to a drought-tolerant Artesian hybrid is uncovering part of the truth," she says. "As a scientist, that’s an exciting feeling."
Testing for Stress Management
The groundwork for Artesian hybrids begins in a lab, but it doesn’t end there. Genes that test well for stress management during discovery become "candidate genes." Syngenta researchers then evaluate hybrids containing these genes at Managed Stress Environment (MSE) sites around the world to determine whether the genes will perform in a field setting.
"The main purpose of operating MSE sites is to replicate our trials in real-world environments," says Christine Chaulk-Grace, lead North America MSE trialing and station manager at Syngenta.
One of the MSE sites Chaulk-Grace manages is in LaSalle, Colorado. It is the first Syngenta research site dedicated to testing crops in managed
irrigation trials and includes roughly 80 acres of land, outfitted with below-ground drip tape. This setup enables Chaulk-Grace and her team of three full-time researchers to deliver irrigation with maximum precision, from a volume and timing perspective. Because LaSalle receives little in-season rainfall, her team can induce drought by withholding water at various growth stages and at different levels of severity to observe how the crop—and, specifically, the candidate genes—can manage water stress."Studying native traits allows corn to teach us how it has adapted to respond to stress."
The researchers at MSE sites communicate field observations and performance results to Syngenta corn breeders, who then move validated genes into hybrids with compatible genetic backgrounds.
Shepherding Artesian hybrids from discovery to development—and then to commercialization—is a defining career highlight for the LaSalle research team, says Aubrey Weiland, associate scientist at Syngenta. For the past nine years—spanning much of the native traits water-optimization effort—Weiland has monitored, managed and harvested the trials. "When you work on a project like this with such intensity, it’s really exciting to know that actual growers are benefiting from the technology," she says.
Optimizing the Conversion of Water to Grain
About 115 miles east of the LaSalle MSE site is Yuma County, Colorado—consistently ranked among the top corn-producing counties in the nation. Here, the Ogallala Aquifer, which nourishes much of the High Plains, provides the lifeblood for crops, as center pivot irrigation units transform the landscape from dry prairie grasses to vibrant green circles of crops.
Syngenta Seed Advisor™ and grower Nathan Armstrong, who maintains a 2,500-acre operation in Yuma County, recognizes that the aquifer is a finite resource. Doing his part to help extend its life, he embraces wireless irrigation management technology and agronomic practices that help him apply irrigation wisely.
In 2014, Armstrong planted Golden Harvest® Corn hybrid G07B39 Artesian brand in one field. "I love that hybrid," he says. "It ended up being my highest-yielding field. And this hybrid simply doesn’t need as much water, so I don’t need to apply as much irrigation. I’ve found that, from my experience, it requires about 30 percent less water than other hybrids because it uses water so much more efficiently."
The ability to achieve optimal yields while saving a significant amount of water motivated Armstrong to convert 70 percent of his corn acres to G07B39 Artesian in 2015.
Growers across the entire Corn Belt report that Artesian hybrids help them manage gaps in rainfall better than other hybrids—and that the plant’s ability to optimize the conversion of water to grain translates to improved yield consistency. "I like the fact that an Artesian hybrid is very consistent across every acre that we plant here," says Mitch Agre, a Syngenta Seed Advisor and grower from Sacred Heart, Minnesota. "We can plant it on corn-on-corn acres, less productive acres—even sandy ground—and it seems to do all right. We don’t have to worry about running out of water in the middle of the summer, as that hybrid will kick into high gear for us and help finish out the season."
The Science of Artesian Corn: Christine Chaulk-Grace, pictured here in her LaSalle office, has managed the LaSalle Managed Stress Environment (MSE) site since its inception and has helped establish additional MSE sites throughout the world.
The Science of Artesian Corn: Syngenta research associate Randy Lebsack schedules and monitors irrigation and notes crop development observations, among other responsibilities, at the LaSalle MSE site. He works there with three other full-time time employees.
The Science of Artesian Corn: Soil moisture, leaf temperature and chlorophyll content are among the readings Syngenta Associate Scientist Aubrey Weiland takes to determine the irrigation schedule at the LaSalle MSE site.
The Science of Artesian Corn: Syngenta Research Associate Daniel Willis inspects a row of soybeans at the LaSalle MSE site. In addition to corn and soybeans, sunflowers and wheat are studied at the site.
The Science of Artesian Corn: NK® Corn hybrid N45P Artesian™ brand grows at the LaSalle MSE site.
The Science of Artesian Corn: An irrigation canal at the LaSalle MSE site channels well water to a series of filters before the water is applied to the crop via drip tape.
The Next Wave
As growers like Armstrong and Agre embrace Artesian technology as a simple, effective way to manage the unpredictability of weather, the Syngenta native traits water optimization team continues to actively research, identify and validate additional genes. "The pipeline works, and we want to extend it," says Dirk Benson, Ph.D., head of seeds product development at Syngenta.
The Artesian footprint now extends beyond North America, having been launched as HYVIDO® corn in southeastern Europe. Other regions anticipating Artesian product launches in the coming years include Latin America and Southeast Asia.
"We’re in a great place," says Ben Ford, Ph.D., germplasm team lead at Syngenta. "As part of the breeding team, it’s exciting to develop such an elite lineup of hybrids. When growers are seeing success, it’s that much more fulfilling."
share this article
