Monsanto smartstacks

[wjkrostek]

How did smartstacks work out for you guys?  I was thinking of buying stock in Monsanto but would like to here what farmers that used smartstacks where thinking before I buy the stock.  Question may not belong here but where else would I ask? Thanks Bill

[idalivered]

yield monitor shows no difference with triple stacks. wish I could get rw/rup corn with no corn borer protection from monsanto.

[Blacksandfarmer]

I just bought some smartstacks corn for next year. It was actually cheaper than some of the longer day VT3 hybrids my Dekalb dealer offered. Some of the smartstacks corn got beaten in yield trials this year so Monsanto dropped prices by quite a bit. Although, I did hear from guys who had smartstacks out this year that the ears were pretty impressive with no bug damage to speak of. With that said, I will only have 65 acres of corn out next year so I only purchased one hybrid + the 5% refuge, DK53-45. Anybody here have that corn this year? If so, how did it perform?

[JAS#17]

I had some Dekalb 61-21 GSS that was 40 bushel less than Great Lakes 6354 VT3.  I know atleast one other guy whose 61-21 failed just as miserably.  The VT3 version of that same hybrid had two really good years in 2008 and 2009.  I understand Monsanto's stock has taken a big hit due to the miserable performance of the SmartStax.

[jc217]

Dekalb 61-21 smart stacks in my area was a disaster.  Reports are from 40 to 80 bu / Acre below any other hybrid in the field.  My SS was 45 bu / A less than the VT3 varieties.  I can't afford to get free SS corn from them to lose $250 / A in income.  Don't expect me to buy anymore!

[JDFarmer4960]

Only a few hybrids out last year from any company. I heard everything from below average, to same as VT3, to best on farm.  I also heard that 6121 did not fair to well.  It comes down to the difference in your refuge yield verses your Traited yield.  If they are the same you probably do not need Smartstax.  But if you see 10 - 20 bushel differences in them then being able to have 15% ( 20% vs 5%) more traited corn would probably make you more money.  But at the same time we cannot be paying as much as we did last year for them either.  I think I saw that the prices are going to be less this year for them.  Plus there will be more choices not just 2 or 3 hybrids.

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

I have a friend in Illinois who said the same thing about Dekalb 61-21.  Very unhappy with it.  He figured Monsanto would address the problem by trying to give him some free or at lower price.  🙂