Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76STRATEGY A featured segment designed to share business- critical information to seed-selling professionals. Visit SeedWorld.com to download this department and other tools. Rooting for Protection Below Ground Experts believe the key to helping growers break the next yield barrier lies below the ground — root and soil health and the interaction between the two. Ensuring that a crops’ root system is protected early on can make a big difference at harvest. Julie Deering WHEN YOU’RE SLOWLY driving down the road and looking out over the fields, you take comfort in seeing big green leaves, a nice even stand and those perfectly spaced rows. But if that’s not the case and the leaves are yellow, starting to roll or there’s a great deal of variability, you rub your forehead knowing there’s a problem — it’s easy to see. But the picture is much darker when we look at what’s hap- pening below ground. “Nobody looks out across the field and thinks of roots,” says Dale Ireland, Syngenta Seedcare technical product lead for U.S. corn and soy- beans. “Roots don’t really get the respect that they should, but that’s where the next yield frontier is, below ground.” In the competitive spirit, farmers always want their crop to look better than their neighbors’, but what if, for illustrative purposes only, we turned that crop upside down and the roots were out of the ground. Then it would be easy to see who makes sure their roots are protected, healthy and strong. Shawn Conley, a University of Wisconsin Extension soy- bean specialist, says he’s never seen a high-yielding field with one skinny little taproot. “Typically when you dig up roots in a high-yielding field, you have a very long taproot, 24-36 inches long, with a mas- sive secondary root system and a very fibrous structure.” The Role of Roots Roots are the interface between the plants and the soil. The plant depends on roots to keep it erect. It’s very basic, Ireland says, but essential to growth, development and harvestability. Roots are responsible for four key functions: • Anchoring the plant in the soil. • Uptake of water and nutrients. • Conducting water and nutrients. • Storing food. Amy Burton, a root physi- ologist for Bayer, says that yield building starts on day one. One area Burton has been focused on is helping plants be more efficient with carbon, in turn allowing the roots to be more efficient in accessing water and nutrients. “Germination is one of the most challenging times in a plant’s life,” Burton says. “Seedling establishment is very important. The sooner the plant can establish itself, the stronger and more vig- orous it will be later in the season.” When the plant goes to fill seed, if it doesn’t have an adequate root system for 26 / SEEDWORLD.COM SEPTEMBER 2016 Dale Ireland, Syngenta Seedcare technical product manager, U.S. corn and soybeans Jennifer Riggs, Bayer SeedGrowth product development manager SUPPORTED BY