In farming, putting all your eggs in one basket can expose producers to unnecessary risk.
By Maile Matsimela, digital editor at African Farming
This was the message from Kerry Rowlands, field agronomist for Pannar Seed, to farmers at the recent Pannar Farmers’ Day that was recently held at Sam Nkosi’s De Goedehoop Farm in Ermelo, Mpumalanga.
She warned that chasing the highest-yielding hybrid without understanding your farm’s reality is a recipe for disaster. Sharing her strategic approach to hybrid selection and risk management, Rowlands emphasised why smart farmers build portfolios of varieties rather than betting everything on a single hybrid.
“Know your farm’s yield potential and key risks, and base hybrid choice on that, not on the ‘highest-yield’ claim alone,” Rowlands advised the gathered farmers.
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Understanding Critical Growth Stages
The cornerstone of Rowlands’ philosophy revolves around understanding critical growth stages and their vulnerability to weather events. She explained that crops face their greatest risks during emergence, early vegetative development, tasselling and pollination, and grain fill periods. The key insight is that different maturities move these sensitive windows earlier or later in the season, creating opportunities for strategic risk management.
“Don’t put all your acres into one new hybrid,” Rowlands warned, advocating instead for spreading risk by planting different growth-class hybrids so that critical stages, especially pollination, are staggered in time. This approach dramatically reduces the chance that a single drought or stress event will devastate an entire crop when it’s most vulnerable.
The Portfolio Approach
Rather than prescribing a fixed split, Rowlands explained that portfolio composition should be adapted to each farm’s dominant risk period, whether early-season stress, mid-season drought or late-season disease pressure.
This diversification acts as a seasonal insurance policy, ensuring that some portion of the crop is likely to perform well regardless of when weather challenges occur.
When introducing new varieties, Rowlands advocates starting with a few bags rather than planting entire farms. This conservative approach allows farmers to evaluate performance under their specific conditions before making larger commitments. She emphasises thinking of hybrid selection like building an investment portfolio, where diversification protects against catastrophic losses while capturing upside potential.
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Matching Hybrids to Farm-specific Risks
The agronomist stressed matching hybrids to specific farm risks rather than pursuing generic solutions. Farmers need to honestly assess their primary threats, whether dealing with drought stress, disease pressure from rust or grey leaf spot, insect challenges, or soil limitations from waterlogging and subsoil acidity.
Population management plays a crucial role in Rowlands’ risk strategy. She recommends reducing plant populations in drought-prone fields to minimise competition for limited moisture, while optimising populations in favourable conditions. This flexibility should extend to variable applications within or between fields, matching plant density to specific yield potential.
Technology and Data-driven Decisions
Modern genetic technologies serve as additional risk management tools when properly applied. PowerCore (PW) technology provides in-plant insect protection through insect-resistant traits, particularly valuable for pests such as the African stalk borer, while the glyphosate herbicide-tolerant trait offers simplified weed management options. When aligned with realistic yield goals and sound agronomic management, these technologies form part of a broader risk management strategy rather than a standalone solution.
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The importance of data-driven decisions cannot be overstated in Rowlands’ approach. She strongly advocates using multi-season trial data, including both company trials and on-farm evaluations, to understand how hybrids perform across different seasonal conditions. Single-year results can be misleading and should never drive major decisions. Combining company trial results with on-farm testing provides the most reliable foundation for hybrid selection.
Building the Foundation
Soil health improvements form the foundation of effective risk management. Rowlands says hybrid selection should be paired with lime applications to address pH and soil acidity limitations in the topsoil and gypsum to improve acid saturation and soil structure in the subsoil. Better soil conditions allow hybrids to express their genetic potential while reducing environmental stress.
Economic considerations remain paramount in Rowlands’ recommendations. She strongly discouraged reusing harvested maize seed for planting the following season, emphasising that certified hybrid seed provides genetic uniformity and guaranteed performance characteristics. Input investments should be scaled to match realistic yield potential, avoiding overinvestment based on unrealistic expectations.
Planning for Success
Planning requires careful attention when implementing a diversified approach. Rowlands advised securing preferred hybrids early to avoid shortages, while considering harvest equipment capacity when staggering maturities. Documentation of hybrid performance under different conditions builds valuable databases for future decisions.
Successful risk management isn’t about finding the perfect hybrid for one season, Rowlands concluded. It’s about building a resilient system that performs consistently across varying conditions. There’s no universal “best” hybrid, only the best portfolio approach for each specific situation.
The goal is to create a cropping system that collectively manages risk while positioning farmers to capture upside potential when conditions favour different varieties. As Rowlands reminded farmers, the best hybrid strategy is one that helps you sleep well at night, knowing you’ve protected against catastrophic losses while still capturing farming’s upside potential.
Also read:
Bridging the yield divide: Pannar’s mission to match US maize production
Seed selection: Insights from an expert
Seeds of Success: Caiphas Muyambo’s work with South African farmers
