As you harvest this year’s crop, it’s time to start thinking about the next. Seed selection is one of the biggest and most critical decisions you make each season, so prioritize objective data and attributes over flashy marketing and slick sales pitches. Here are five areas to scrutinize when evaluating your options.
 

1. Reliable, Unbiased Data

Yield data is important, but your analysis shouldn’t stop there. Not all hybrids are created equal, and some respond better to certain management strategies than others. Response-to scores can help you match your seed choices to your management style and each field's potential.

You know that traditional Answer Plot^® locations provide controlled, high-yield research data. As you plan for the 2027 season, consider incorporating insights that reflect real-world performance in your specific geography with our localized CROPLAN^® Proving Grounds program.

Complementing the standard small-plot research approach, the Proving Grounds program showcases experimental and commercial hybrids in large-scale, on-farm grower evaluations using actual farm equipment. This provides scaled, real-world insights on how hybrids handle variable soil types and challenging micro-environments. These assessments also evaluate seed alongside crop protection additives, biologicals and micronutrients to give you a view of total ROI potential.

CROPLAN seed has created a new seed placement strategy, called M5, to distill decades of Answer Plot research into an accessible decision framework.

M5 evaluates hybrids across five key agronomic variables:

• Soil Type
• Yield Environment
• Plant Population
• Nitrogen Management
• Fungicide Response

With a clear, color-coded system, M5 can help you match every hybrid to its ideal acre. Your local CROPLAN retailer can share Answer Plot, Proving Ground observations and M5 data to support your decision-making.
 

2. The Right Trait and Genetics Package

Trait platforms are often the starting point for seed selection. After you’ve narrowed down which insect or herbicide trait platform you need, the next step is aligning the seed product’s genetic package to your acres.

- Corn Insects & Grain Quality: In areas prone to corn earworm, traits like Trecepta^® helps prevent earworm feeding on kernels. This optimizes yield potential while preventing mold and toxin development, ultimately protecting grain quality.

- Corn Rootworm Pressure: In high-pressure rootworm areas, leverage advanced RNAi technology found in SmartStax^® PRO or VT4PRO^™ hybrids.

- Workhorse vs. Racehorse Hybrids: Align a seed product’s genetics to your agronomic challenges. For example, CP5682 Trecepta serves as a high-yield anchor on quality-tier corn acres, while CP5363 Trecepta excels on tougher, challenging acres where reduced populations handle drought or poor soil types.

- Early Soybean Management: For growers pushing soybean planting windows earlier to maximize sunlight and yield potential, robust options like WinPak^® variety CP3920ES offer both offensive and defensive characteristics across varying soil types and deliver exceptional weed control options.

3. Soybean Disease Tolerance

Genetic selection is one of your best defenses against early-season soybean diseases. For example, there are no in-season treatment options for sudden death syndrome (SDS), so it’s crucial to take proactive steps to reduce the risk of infection. For fields with a history of SDS, choose soybean varieties with high tolerance and buy high-quality seed with strong early-season vigor (slow germination and emergence can promote early-season plant diseases).
 

4. Seed Treatments

Seed treatments probably aren’t your first consideration when purchasing seed, but they are important for protecting your investment. Many seed treatment formulations, rates and components are available at different price points, so you need to quantify those differences to make apples-to-apples product comparisons. Make sure you understand what’s going on in your seed by asking which fungicides and insecticides are in the treatment, what they protect against, whether it includes nematode protection, and whether additional components could help support yield potential.

All CROPLAN seed corn hybrids include Fortivent^® Plus seed treatment.¹ Fortivent Plus seed treatment combines the early-season insect control of Poncho^® VoTiVo^® seed treatment with ethaboxam fungicide for enhanced Pythium control. It also includes Fortivent Zn, which has been shown to be outstanding for early corn development, including stand establishment and improved yield potential. In Answer Plot testing, Fortivent Plus seed treatment showed a 4.7bu/A average advantage over untreated CROPLAN products.²

We're one of the only seed brands in the industry to offer zinc as a standard treatment on all commercial hybrids to promote early-season growth and root development. In addition to a premium seed treatment to safeguard your investment, you can also rest assured knowing a 100% replant policy backs your CROPLAN hybrids.¹

To protect early-planted soybeans in cold, wet soil, pair elite genetics with targeted seed treatment.

5. Financing

As prepay windows and early booking deadlines approach for 2027, practical financial strategy is just as important as agronomic planning. Leveraging SECURE^™ financing by WinField^® United offers cash flow flexibility, enabling you to take full advantage of early prepay discounts.

SECURE financing also provides in-season flexibility to finance fungicide or nutrient applications as needed. Rather than being restricted by rigid operational lines, you can make agronomic, yield-maximizing decisions on the fly.

As you evaluate your seed options, keep these five areas top of mind and work with your CROPLAN local retail seed expert for tailored recommendations and local expertise.

¹Certain restrictions apply; talk with your CROPLAN seed dealer for details.

²2018 Answer Plot trial data.

All photos are either the property of WinField United or used with permission.

© 2026 WinField United. Important: Before use always read and follow label instructions. Crop performance is dependent on several factors many of which are beyond the control of WinField United, including without limitation, soil type, pest pressures, agronomic practices and weather conditions. Growers are encouraged to consider data from multiple locations, over multiple years and to be mindful of how such agronomic conditions could impact results. Answer Plot, Ascend, CROPLAN, Fortivent, SECURE, Warden, WinPak and WinField are trademarks of WinField United. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.