Note: You can listen to my conversation with Mark Reiman by clicking on the link above.

As more seed companies characterize hybrids based on factors like water-use efficiency, plant population and nitrogen-use efficiency, one question is: Which hybrids are more suited to in-season fertigation?

It's a question posed by agronomists at Bayer's Water Utilization Learning Center near Gothenburg, Neb., as part of a study over the last two years testing response to nitrogen in different Dekalb hybrids.

"The end goal really is understanding the products Dekalb has and how they will work in the farmer's system," says Mark Reiman, Learning Center agronomist.

"We want to understand how they're going to work, and if you're a farmer and want to use one nitrogen system, what might be the best product for you to choose? If you're a farmer that uses a different strategy out there, what's going to be the better product for you?"