Five new Dekalb Disease Shield products are being introduced for the 2019 growing season that provide broad protection available against the top corn diseases without sacrificing yield.

Included will be earlier-maturing varieties for farmers in the Upper Midwest.

First launched in 2017, Dekalb Disease Shield corn combines yield potential with stacked protection against five yield-robbing diseases: anthracnose stalk root, gray leaf spot, Goss’s wilt, northern corn leaf blight and — in limited geographies — southern rust.

Currently, the products are offered in 109 to 120 relative maturity geographies.

New products for next season expand that relative maturity range, beginning with 105-day corn. Farmers in Minnesota will have access to Dekalb Disease Shield for the first time, while those in South Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan will have additional products from which to choose.

Jared Webb, Dekalb product development manager, said in a news release the expansion reflects farmer demand and the success of the product class, which features exclusive genetics developed through the brand’s seed breeding program.

“Farmers like the idea of added protection, since disease pressure can’t be predicted in any given year,” Webb said. “Based on field testing, the five new products for 2019 fully meet Dekalb Disease Shield protection criteria, as well as demonstrate good standability, late season stay-green and intactness.”

Farmers had the chance to see the new products in action this summer in local field trials. Included were:

• DKC55-53RIB Brand Blend. 105 RM product with SmartStax RIB Complete Corn Blend

• DKC58-34RIB Brand Blend. 108 RM product with SmartStax RIB Complete Corn Blend

• DKC58-35RIB Brand Blend. 108 RM product with VT Double PRO RIB Complete Corn Blend

• DKC61-98RIB Brand Blend. 111 RM product with VT Double PRO RIB Complete Corn Blend

• DKC70-26RIB Brand Blend. 120 RM product with SmartStax RIB Complete Corn Blend

In 2016 and 2017, Dekalb Disease Shield products demonstrated very effective disease protection and achieved an average yield advantage of 9.2 bushels per acre in more than 12,000 trial plot comparisons with competitor corn products across the U.S.

With this expansion, the 2019 lineup will include a total of 12 products in the 105 to 120 relative maturities.

For additional information, farmers can contact their Dekalb Asgrow dealer or visit dekalb.com/diseaseshield.

Source: Dekalb