The EaSY Advantage

The EaSY Advantage

Lower cost of goods + improved hybrid yield = the EaSY™ advantage

EaSY was recovered from Latin American germplasm provided by the USDA Germplasm Enhancement of Maize program.*  Under normal growing conditions, seed yield is enhanced by at least 25% with even greater benefits obtained under stress conditions.  Of equal or greater importance is the effect on hybrid yield.  For the past three years, EaSY has delivered a double-digit increase in hybrid yield – an advantage that is now being realized in a variety of genetic backgrounds. 

Originally, the EaSY (Enhanced Seed Yield) research program was focused on simply increasing seed parent yield.  A key inflection point occurred in 2017 when lines derived from a B73EaSY backcross (BC4) population were tested for hybrid performance.  Remarkably, the presence of EaSY improved yield by 24 bushels per acre with no adverse effect on agronomic performance (click here for data).  Collaborative efforts with genetic suppliers have built on this initial breakthrough.  EaSY has now been shown to improve the hybrid performance of elite commercial inbreds (click here for an example) as well as off-patent inbred lines.  The latter provides a model for other collaborative efforts (click here to go to the Introgression of EaSY Program).

We invite you to track the results of the 2019 EaSY testing program as the harvest season progresses.  For additional information, please contact us.

*We gratefully acknowledge the assistance provided by the GEM program.