From AI-powered recommendations to performance guarantees, digital seed selection tools are transforming how farmers make planting decisions
Selecting the right seed doesn’t have to be rigorous trial and error. Digital seed selection tools unite field data, artificial intelligence (AI), and human expertise, so you can make the right choices for your field.
GHX MaxScript by Golden Harvest
GHX by Golden Harvest is one of the tools available to farmers when making corn and soybean seed selections. MaxScript, available in GHX, pairs the farmer with its digital tools and a Golden Harvest adviser to prescribe the right hybrids and rate at the field level.
MaxScript looks at three elements when choosing seeds for each field: soil productivity, 20-year weather history, and the results from over 20,000 trials conducted by Syngenta.
“One of the things we focus on is not just getting the right hybrid but making sure we don’t have the wrong hybrids,” said Justin Welch, head of agronomy for Golden Harvest. “Many times, there are two or three products that may be suitable for a field, but there also may be one a farmer is purchasing that we would not recommend in that field.”
How it works
The process starts with a farmer’s field boundaries. The farmer can connect GHX directly to the John Deere Operations Center, or export their data from other farm management information system (FMIS) platforms. Once GHX has the field boundary data, the Golden Harvest adviser can begin making recommendations.
The adviser breaks up the fields in GHX Fields to see which variability and soil types are present and then uses the resulting data to fine-tune compatible hybrids and rates. Once seeds are planted, the adviser regularly checks in with the farmer to make sure the pre-season planning is followed through.
Crop stress monitoring
Every Monday throughout the season, the farmer is emailed a crop stress index report that provides an update on the crop’s progress for each field and the yield trend, as well as the week’s weather forecast.
The GHX mobile app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play, in addition to a web platform. Farmers can log in and check their seed plans, view field imagery, check soil moisture content, and monitor growth stages, as well as access financing and pay bills.
Yield Optimizer by AcreShield
AcreShield is an AI-based agronomic seed prescription and yield-based performance protection program. Its Yield Optimizer aggregates seed yield data from independent research trials conducted across 500 locations and 5,000 test plots. It then provides performance comparisons and recommendations from more than 40 brands, with over 1,300 seed hybrids and varieties. The company says the tool is brand-agnostic and that it does not sell or distribute for any seed companies.
“We have a whole team that does all the seed trials,” said Billy Rose, co-founder and CEO of AcreShield. “We get data from universities, but the core is our seed trial data feeding the AI machine learning model.”
How Yield Optimizer works
Farmers select their location, crop type, and maturity range, and then Yield Optimizer ranks the top-performing brands and seeds based on their location’s soil type and 20-year weather data. Yield Optimizer provides a list of the top seed hybrids for your plot of land, which farmers can sort by brand. Users can also compare different seed varieties head-to-head with an AI analysis tool that shares a recommendation, summary, and detailed breakdown of the data.
Performance guarantee
When weather or external factors cause drag on yield, crop insurance programs typically cover 50–75% of losses — 85% at most. AcreShield has a performance protection seasonal subscription with three tiers available to protect your profits if yield falls within that 85–100% gap: Pay $12 per acre for up to $36 of protection per acre; $16 for up to $64 of protection; or $20 for up to $100 of protection.
“We’re so confident this will work that we’re providing a performance guarantee,” Rose said. “If you use the Yield Optimizer’s AI seed selection and if it does not yield above 100%, we’ll write you a check.”
Xarvio Field Manager by BASF
BASF’s Xarvio Field Manager is another tool available to farmers. The SeedSelect algorithm uses BASF’s plot trial field research, local topographic and soil attributes, and variety-specific yield-building characteristics to help farmers determine the correct soybean variety. The algorithm looks at how a variety interacts with multiple attributes such as organic matter, cation exchange capacity, slope, as well as other factors that contribute to yield.
Paired with the farmer’s field data, the algorithm recommends the best Xitavo soybean seed varieties for a field’s characteristics. The information also guides placement and growing-season management to help ensure high yields.
“I stick to the data on what varieties need to be on each field of my farm, and the technology has been tremendous,” said Ryan Myers, a farmer from Fairbury, Illinois. “Before using the program, we were averaging 60 bushels per acre, and now we’ve climbed to 70 bushels per acre.”
Xarvio is also available as a mobile app and as a web platform. Farmers can create variable-rate seeding maps to optimize seeding in high-potential zones, and save seed in low-performing areas. Farmers can also make real-time adjustments during seeding, using the mobile app.
Local Crop Yield Results by Bayer
Bayer’s Local Crop Yield Results tool allows farmers to select from Bayer’s seed brands — Dekalb, Asgrow, Deltapine, Channel, and WestBred — to view results from plot trials in their areas going back to 2022. This tool provides details such as average yield and revenue per acre, row widths, tillage type, soil type, and more. Farmers can also adjust the bushel selling price and drying costs to get a more accurate assessment of the potential revenue.
