Spreading Risk with Different Varieties

Farming always involves uncertainty. Weather, pests, disease and harvest conditions can all change quickly. As an agronomist, I find that most recommendations come with the statement "it depends," because growers are always adjusting to different conditions and making decisions accordingly. When it comes to choosing the right variety, we don't know what the season is going to bring. Why put one variety across all your acres when you aren't sure what the season is going to throw at it?

Having different maturities across your farm spreads your exposure across more than one window in the growing season. Frost, drought, excess heat or moisture at a critical growth stage can have a significant impact on yield. By spreading out maturity, you reduce the likelihood of having your entire crop at the same sensitive growth stage when those conditions occur. Earlier varieties may avoid late-season stress, while later varieties can take advantage of late-season moisture or favourable growing conditions.

Staggering maturity can also help with harvest. When everything is ready at once, equipment, labour, storage and trucking can quickly become overwhelmed. We naturally spread out harvest through crop rotation, whether that's a three-year or four-year rotation. However, that same risk isn't necessarily spread out within each crop if you're growing the same variety across all your acres. Having two or more maturities within a crop can help spread out harvest timing and minimize potential harvest losses.

You don't need to run a variety trial across your entire farm. Having one flagship variety across all your acres is logistically convenient and can simplify seeding, but it also concentrates your risk. I'm not suggesting you need six different varieties across the farm. Even two carefully selected varieties can make a meaningful difference.

What We Saw This Year

This year, we expect some earlier-maturing soybeans to hold their own against later varieties. We observed pod abortion in some later varieties following excess heat during critical flowering stages, while earlier varieties had already developed pods before the heat arrived. It's a good example of how different maturities can respond differently to the same growing conditions.

It's a similar story with corn. Later-maturing hybrids can take advantage of late-season rains, while earlier hybrids may avoid an early fall frost when corn is still at the dent stage (R5) and depositing starch into its kernels.

Spreading risk with wheat and oats isn't necessarily just about maturity. Different genetic profiles offer different disease packages and tolerances to stresses such as drought and excess moisture. Differences in flowering timing can also help spread exposure to Fusarium infection risk.

Canola has its own critical growth stages. We know excess heat during flowering can be costly to yield, but we don't know when the hottest stretch of summer will arrive. Having different maturities across the farm can help spread out flowering and reduce exposure to extreme heat.

Building Resilience Through Variety Selection

Spreading risk isn't just about different maturities. Different varieties and hybrids offer different genetic strengths, disease resistance and stress tolerances. Choosing varieties that complement each other can be just as important as spreading out maturity.

Ultimately, using different varieties across your farm is about avoiding putting all your eggs in one basket. A mix of varieties can improve resilience by reducing the chance that one weather event, disease pressure or harvest delay has the same impact across all your acres.

For many farms, selecting just two varieties with complementary strengths is a simple management tool that can support steadier yields and more manageable harvest timing without adding unnecessary complexity

~Derek Keddie