Do you have a question about our services, website or sales policies? We'll give you a straight answer. Some common questions and answers are listed below. If yours isn't covered here, or you want to speak directly to us, please contact us for a personal reply.
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Where does iCORN get its genetics?
We source our hybrids from Monsanto's rich worldwide genetic and trait pipeline. In fact this pipeline is so full, that regional companies like iCORN have access to germplasm that fits our geographical sales area perfectly, but may not be adaptable across the entire nation. By accessing and selling top-flight regionally adapted hybrids, iCORN can sell elite germplasm to our customers.In the 1960s, breeders had a limited number of inbreds to cross. And there weren't nearly the number of breeders as there are today. The industry also relied heavily on universities for inbred line development. You've probably heard of inbred crosses like B73 X MO17 - the big gun hybrid of the 1970s. You don't have a single dominant hybrid like this today. Over time, breeders have brought in new and diverse genetics from all over the world and crossed them into the germplasm. Today's inbreds may be influenced by South American tropical germplasm, European Iodents, and even lines from South Africa.
Throw all this into the equation and you've got dozens, hundreds, even thousands of potential winning combinations.
Understand that there are still some dominant families of inbreds - but the combinations available to cross with any given inbred are virtually endless. In the 1970s everyone crossed B73 with MO17. The difference today is there isn't the reliance on just one hybrid combination. There are still some dominant hybrids, but beyond these few, a farmer can really see a lot of product differences from company to company. That's a huge difference between today and 20 years ago.
Another advantage of the Monsanto system is the data network we can now access. iCORN can source thousands of yield trials to help us make sense of the myriad of environmental conditions and hybrid combinations encountered today.
What do I do with this data? I use it to help me determine if a particular inbred or hybrid is worthy of further evaluation. If it is, the real work of evaluating inbreds and hybrids begins.
-By Jim Schwartz
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How do you evaluate inbreds and hybrids?
You plant them. You expose them to as many environments as you possibly can. You try them in black soils for top-end yield. You plant them in light soils at high populations to test stress tolerance. You put them in corn-after-corn to test for disease tolerance, and on and on.
One of the things I like to do, personally, is to evaluate these candidates in all conditions, from dark, high-yield soils to the tough ground - the plots that go maybe 120 to 150 bushels tops. This way, you find out about their stability and stress tolerance in addition to their top-end yield potential.
Most products can go 200 bushels on black ground. But that's not where they earn their stripes - at least not in our program. That's why I evaluate products even further. If you look at where we market corn-Illinois, Indiana and Ohio - you see we've got both the dark, highly productive soils and the stressful, lighter fields that in most years will go 140 to 150 bushels - not 220. To select great products for black soils, you look for top-end yield from hybrids that also give you green snap tolerance, strong root systems and stalks, and performance at higher populations. We offer a number of these thoroughbreds - hybrids like 106.VT2, 110.RWBR7, 111.VT9 and 112.VT3 . (Click on anything underlined to learn more.)
The trick is not to find a hybrid that goes 200 bushels in a good year, but to find a hybrid that will go 140 to 150 and not 100 bushels - in a tough year. That's why I pay close attention to agronomic traits - things like health and staygreen, grain quality and root and stalk strength. That's where stability of yield comes from. I'm much more impressed when I see consistent ear size from plant-to-plant than I am in a hybrid that throws out a huge ear on one plant and then shrinks back on another. You only see these things by walking field after field after field.
During the summer and early fall my wife Jodi doesn't see me from the last half of July through the end of September! That's when I'm spending time evaluating small research plots, larger on-farm plots and whole fields. It's important to see how the plants look and respond in real-life growing conditions and not just rely on numerical data alone. One thing I don't do is to necessarily rely on data alone.
-By Jim Schwartz
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Are you saying that genetic selection is part art and part science?
Absolutely. Otherwise, every company would end up with an identical product line-up, all selling the same 10-20 hybrids. And although many farmers may believe that, it's far from accurate. Let me explain.
One of the problems with reviewing data alone is that you're looking at averages. Averages don't tell you the whole story. They don't tell you specific strengths and weaknesses of a hybrid. Now for a big company, a major part of their genetic selection process is choosing hybrids that will give them economies of scale. They've got to select products that, on average, will perform well from Nebraska to Ohio - so they can produce lots of it. In this kind of setting, as a product evaluator, your hands are a little tied. Now, let's contrast that with what I'm able to do for you as a product manager at iCORN.
I can spend a lot of time in a smaller geography looking for hybrids that can fill specific needs. For example, take the eastern half of Ohio. There, you find heavier clay soils, more no-till and more disease pressure. It's a lower yield environment. Most of the farms are broken up - lots of 20 and 40 acre patches - with harvest strung out - so you better have good stalk quality. And there just aren't as many corn acres. To be truthful, most of the major companies ignore these types of small geographies. But for me, I can take a look at these smaller areas and offer products that fit. For a big company, it just doesn't make sense.
Our hybrid, 108.VT9 is a great example of a hybrid that would never make it just by studying yield data. I don't think it's ever won a plot. But what made it jump out to me was what it looked like in the field - the agronomic traits, the stability of ear size and yield, the health, roots, stalk quality and grain quality. You'd never pick up on this by looking at data. (Click on anything underlined to learn more.)
I can't put a product like this in the 3rd party trials on good soils. It stands no chance. For the good soils, I've got products I know have a better chance to perform there. But there are a number of us that don't farm 3rd party plots. We farm in the real world - and most of us have some ground that's crappy, tough dirt. Again, if you just looked at the data, you'd miss out on a product like 108.VT9.
For good soils, like the prairie soils you find in northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, a product like 103.VT6 is a great fit. It has a shorter plant stature and a strong root system that helps it resist root lodging from the possible high winds common to the prairie. It also responds to high populations and resists greensnap, two things common to this area. Don't try to move this hybrid east on stressful soils, it's not going to do well there.
I hope these examples I've mentioned above give you a better view of the relationship between product testing and the data that comes out of these tests. That's why I believe that product selection is really part art and part science. (Click on underlined terms to learn more.)
For more information about the strengths and weaknesses of our hybrids, look for the nine (9) questions that begin each hybrid's product information.
-By Jim Schwartz
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Who produces iCORN seed?
There are lots of people out there who can produce seed corn. And a whole bunch of them have figured out ways to cut corners and do it cheap. But when it came time to choose who would grow and condition our seed, we made a decision to go with people we feel are the best in the business. We could've made the decision to produce it ourselves and perhaps sacrifice quality. Instead, we work with the country's largest independent seed corn producer. A company widely recognized for the quality of product they put in the bag, Remington Hybrid Seed Company.
One of the advantages of using these folks is that the seed they produce must meet our quality standards. If it doesn't, it's not our problem. We don't blend it in. We don't have to sell it at a discount. And we don't have to discard it and add that loss to the cost of our product.
What are our standards? The seed we contract to put in an iCORN bag must meet a minimum of 95% warm germination and 85% cold germination. Seed failing to meet this standard is rejected.
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How can I be assured of seed quality?
Our quality assurance standards. Our 80 years of combined seed industry experience has taught us how to ensure a quality product. And that quality starts with the people growing the seed. That's why we work with those whom we consider to be the world's best independent seed corn producers and processors. As a result, iCORN customers receive the very best seed available, from only the best genetics.
- How secure is an online purchase at iCORN?
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What do I do if I have a product performance concern?
Just contact us by email or phone (1-800-240-0101). We'll respond within 24 business hours.
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Can I buy iCORN hybrids in bulk?
Yes. Our mini-bulk container, called iBox, holds 50 units of seed corn or 50-140k units of soybeans (called MiniBulk50) making your seed handling easy and convenient. This state-of-the-art system is available with any iCORN hybrid and your preferred grade choice. Soybeans can also be ordered in TruckBulk from a minimum of 100 units and 50 unit increments above. Click here for further ibox description and photos. To order iBox packaging with your seedcorn order, simply check the iBox option when viewing your shopping cart. All soybeans will come in MiniBulk50 iBox containers unless TruckBulk is requested at time of order.
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If I should ever need to replant, what will I need to do?
Contact us. We will respond immediately to make arrangements. You can email or call us by accessing your respective person through Contact us. iCORN's Replant Policy is:
For seedcorn, the first 25% of your original purchased quantity is free. Any units needed beyond 25% are priced at $44/unit, delivered. If trait hybrids are replanted, you will be billed for the appropriate royalties and claims will be filed on your behalf by iCORN for any crop loss or trait loss.
For soybeans, the first 25% of your purchased quantity will be invoiced at $7.50/unit. Any additional units above 25% will be invoice at $27/unit. All claims will be filed on your behalf by iCORN for any crop loss or technology loss through Roundup Rewards.
All approved and resolved claims will be credited or refunded to you.
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Does iCORN allow returns?
Yes. There's no need for you to keep extra seed. And to keep seed cost down for all our customers, we charge a small restocking fee of $5/unit. This fee reflects actual costs for freight, storage, rebagging, tagging and retesting for germ quality. Rather than spreading the cost of returns to all our customers, we believe it is fair to charge this nominal fee only to customers who return seed. Just contact us and let us know you want to make a return.
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Is iCORN really different from traditional seed companies?
Yes. Our business approach is unique because we put you in control. By offering you direct access to the very latest genetics and extensive information including CrossCheck with convenient personalized service-on your terms-iCORN revolutionizes the way you buy seed corn. See for yourself, check out features on our site such as imatch, product evaluations from the agronomist, our philosophy, the people behind iCORN and their backgrounds.
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As for order delivery, what makes you different from other seed corn
companies that are marketing directly to farmers?
iCORN is the first full-service Internet seed corn company and to live up to that expectation, direct delivery to your farm is part of that benefit. We have to equal or exceed what you are currently receiving from your current seed supplier. Some direct marketing companies expect you to pick-up at a central drop point or may ask you to coordinate customer pick-ups at your farm. At iCORN, whether it is the minimum or a large quantity order, it will be delivered directly to you.