10 MIN READ

DEKALB® Roundup Ready® Corn 2 Refuge Corn Seed Study - Mid-South

January 14, 2026

TRIAL OBJECTIVE

  • Each season, the Learning Center at Scott, MS evaluates adaptability of market-leading corn products for the purpose of refuge acreage in the South.
  • Potential refuge corn products with Roundup Ready® Corn 2 Technology were compared to standard products on a heavy clay soil environment.
  • Yield potential is one important factor to consider when choosing corn products for farms in the South.

RESEARCH SITE DETAILS

DEKALB Refuge Corn Seed Evaluation Field Characteristics and Background
  • All field work, tillage, and herbicides were completed per local standards.
    • 250 lb nitrogen applied to both experiments as liquid 30-0-0-2.5 fertilizer.

Table 1. Corn products planted, with their traits and relative maturities.

Testing matrix of 7 DEKALB Round Ready Corn 2 refuge corn seed products, as well as 2 other DEKALB corn products, Trecepta and VT Double Pro corn traits
  • Trial was planted as non-replicated strip plots.
    • Plot size: 12 rows each 650 to 700 feet long or 0.59 acre/plot
  • On average, 92% of plants emerged in plots.
  • Yield data was collected using a commercial combine with the whole plot harvested and corrected to 15.5% moisture content.

UNDERSTANDING THE RESULTS

DEKALB Roundup Ready 2 corn products average yield performance compared DEKALB corn seeds with Trecepta and VT Double Pro trait technology.
Figure 1. Average yield response of seven DEKALB® brand corn products compared to standard products.
  • Yields were exceptional in the Buckshot environment for 2025 with an average yield of 192 bu/acre across the study. Several of the corn products yielded in the range of 200 bu/acre or greater (Figure 1).

KEY LEARNINGS

  • DEKALB® brand offers a robust lineup of refuge corn products adapted to heavier soil types of the Mississippi Delta.
  • The Roundup Ready® Corn 2 products tested were competitive with standard commercial corn products in this trial.
  • It is important to plant refuge acres to ensure refuge program compliance and long-term viability of Bacillus thuringiensis technology across crops. These data indicate growers have several corn product options to comply with refuge standards without sacrificing yield potential.
  • Growers should consider their personal preferences, yield potential, and plant characteristics of corn products when selecting a corn product for the 2026 growing season.
  • Please contact your local DEKALB® brand representative for more information.

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