44 / SEEDWORLD.COM JUNE 2017 “MOTHER NATURE DOESN’T work in a vacuum.” That comment by Ed Baumgartner, the 56-year old president of 3MG North, the Olivia, Minn., seed research and development firm, sets the stage for the remarkable diversity of this 12-year old company. “The majors in the seed industry are still focus- ing on just one trait at a time,” Baumgartner says candidly. “We see it differently. Our research con- stantly includes multiple environments. “For example, if we concentrate on drought tol- erance, you more than likely will first observe heat stress. That in turn shows us a few things about water efficiency. Then quite rapidly you also see nutrient-use efficiency indicators.” These multiple “trait expressions” within a single cropping season get multiplied up to three genera- tions within a 365-day period for 3MG. Why and how? Because 3MG conducts this intensive research under the tremendous diversity of Puerto Rico’s weather with its generous heat and abundant sun- shine. Plus, seasonal research and yield plots in Olivia and locations in North Dakota and South Dakota help confirm actual Corn Belt yield data. “We see that when we select for more heat tolerance, we also get better cold tolerance,” notes Baumgartner. “So everything is related. We’re not after just one specific item in our testing programs. “Yes, we could make faster gains if we concen- trated on just one, but Mother Nature throws a dif- ferent curve ball every year. Our breeding system checks out a variety of environmental challenges each generation.” He admits it gets more complicated when tracking multiple traits through individual inbred lines. But, Baumgartner adds: “When you let Mother Nature be the judge, so to speak, when you One seedsman harnesses the power of Mother Nature in his breeding programs to evaluate hybrids across multiple environments simultaneously. Dick Hagen THE QUEST TO BREED TOUGH CORN HYBRIDS