By Brian Hefty

As farmers, we are really pretty trusting of most people and companies we do business with.  Seed is a good example.  We just expect that whatever we order is of high quality, and it will lead to us getting great yields on the farm.  Here’s the problem: not every seed producer is the same.  Let’s take soybeans, for example.  If there are 80 million acres of soybeans grown in the U.S., that means that chances are at least 2 million acres are “seed production” soybeans.  Are all 2 million of those acres the same?  Do those 2 million acres produce seeds with the same viability, vigor, and overall yield potential?  There is a great chance that there is a vast difference from top to bottom in those fields.  My belief is that translates to the seed you plant and your yield potential and profit on the farm.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying that just because a poor seed producer raised the beans you will plant next spring means you’re going to have a disaster on the farm; but it only makes sense that if seed was produced poorly, it could be more likely to get a disease, have a poor stand, or give you slightly less profit at the end of the season.

Many years ago, we noticed that soybeans produced on fields on our own farm were significantly bigger in size and had more vigor where we had tried to do everything right.  In other words, where we had high levels of balanced fertility, increased organic matter, good drainage, and other positive soil characteristics, the soybeans not only yielded well, they were also of better quality.  We continued to do more experiments with this, and while there isn’t always a direct corollary from better-managed fields to better seed quality, the odds are definitely in our favor.

Once we established many of the keys to good seed production, we made those things requirements for the seed growers we work with.  Soil gets tested and then properly fertilized… FOR SOYBEANS.  I know most people don’t fertilize their soybeans, but that’s also why most soybean fields in the U.S. are closer to 40 bushels for yield instead of 60.  Here is a quick list of some of the other requirements we have for Hefty Brand Soybean seed growers, which helps ensure the quality of seed that ends up in the bag:

  1. ROOTastic inoculant and QuickRoots biological are required, so nutrient use is improved.
  2. Seed treatment fungicide and insecticide are used to protect the seed and seedling.
  3. If even a few bean leaf beetles, soybean aphids, or other bugs show up, spraying is required.
  4. A soybean residual herbicide must be used.
  5. Volunteer corn, if present, must be sprayed once, with most growers spraying twice.
  6. Foliar fungicide must be used at least once.

In addition to all these steps, we invest a lot of time trying to make sure the seed is harvested with ample moisture, and then the best cleaning is done using both color and shape sorters.  With the sorters, every single bean that gets processed is electronically scanned.  When a bad seed is detected, it is pushed out of the system with air.

There are many seed companies out there, and most of them have good quality products.  That said, we have been told by seed breeders and industry experts that Hefty Brand Soybeans have the largest seed size in the industry, due primarily to the fertility we require, as well as all the other high management steps.  Between that and our high-tech seed cleaning process, we are trying to bring you the best seed possible so you can have confidence that Hefty Brand Soybeans will provide the best return on investment of any seed brand.