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Farmer says modern genetics are expensive but necessary

A Wisconsin farmer says modern crop genetics have helped in tough weather years like 2023, but they’re expensive.

Shane Goplin raises corn and soybeans near Osseo and tells Brownfield yields have come a long way. “I would love to have a bag of seed from 1988, and probably not more than one bag because I don’t want to lose that much money, and put it side-by-side next to modern-day genetics.”

Goplin says one hybrid corn seed that worked great for him ten years ago might not be ideal today. “It came out in 2012. It’s still a solid, solid hybrid but it’s starting to show it’s weaknesses, but you look at where the hybrids have come, there’s a reason that it costs so much.”

Goplin says he’s getting seed corn quotes for 2024 and the hybrids will cost him more money than this year. “But, if I want to get bigger yields, that’s what I need to do.”

Goplin grows about 22 hundred acres of corn for grain and another 850 acres of corn for silage.