Corn with Syngenta's new Enogen trait is starting to catch on in South Dakota. It contains an enzyme that bio-refiners usually have to add to corn to make ethanol.

Participating ethanol plants are playing a 40 cent premium for Enogen corn.

Dave Heeren, Spink, S.D., has grown Enogen corn for two seasons. He had clean out his combine and planter before planting and harvesting Enogen corn. He had to store it separately from other corn and he had to maintain buffer strips around the field border to prevent cross pollination.

Yield trials have shown no yield drag with Enogen corn, says John Hamm, Vermillion, S.D., Enogen account leader for Syngenta.

Dave Heeren grew Enogen corn last year and earned a premium. He calls the new corn a "win-win deal" for farmers and ethanol plants.

"The cost per bag to farmers is also the same," he says.

Enogen was first planted six years ago in northwestern Kansas. Since then Enogen has been planted in south central and northeast Nebraska, western Kansas and northwest Iowa.

"The footprint is starting to grow," says Hamm. "We're extending more into Nebraska and South Dakota, and continuing to grow from there."

Fifteen to 20 other farmers in South Dakota planted Enogen corn this year. None was grown in North Dakota, but ethanol plants are testing it.

Syngenta is putting the trait into more corn hybrids. It has nine new varieties set for release in 2014, including two hybrids with Agrisure Artesian drought tolerant technology.

Read more about Enogen corn in the November issue of Dakota Farmer ("Farmers can be enzyme providers," page 52). You also can find the magazine online at www.farmprogress.com/dakota-farmer under the "Magazine Online" tab.