Plant Characteristics Revealed

Revolutionary technology called Root reveal is a new innovation that allows producers to look at what's happening beneath the soil. Nate Firle, product characterization, research manager for Beck’s hybrids.

“Soil testing tells us what's in the environment. Our root reveal research gives us an understanding of what are those characteristics of that genetic set. So by growing each plant in our greenhouse in a four by four by four box filled with it's called Turvus, that soil that we grow it in allows us to manage it with water nutrients, grow it to the point where it tassels shut that off, and as we open or reveal that root architecture, we see what its max potential is, one plant, no competition, and we'll learn, is it horizontal? Is it vertical? Is it balanced? What are the tendencies of that characteristic? So that when we move to the environments of different soil types and different nutrients, we have a better understanding of how do we manage that product?”

Furthermore, Firle says that research has proven that it's about the plant's response, not the characteristics when a plant is grown in one region versus another. Characterization

is taking it that next step and truly understanding what those characteristics are. We get questions a lot being an Indiana based company, well, how does that corn from Indiana gonna work in Iowa or Kansas and Nebraska? And we're learning that the characteristics of that plant don't change when you move them from one environment to another.”

Nate Firle with Beck’s Hybrids.