JEFFERSONVILLE, Ohio - An independent seed provider is allowing corn and soybean growers to see for themselves that its products are just as good as what they’re putting in the soil from other suppliers.

Seed Direct Genetics in Jeffersonville, Ohio, is accepting other hybrid brands from farmers to test against the genetics in their seed.

Chris Jeffries, president of the company in the southwest part of the state, said the purpose is showing there’s no difference in quality no matter how large or well-known the brand.  

“Our whole thing is not that we are two bushel better or one bushel better than somebody else.  What we’re really trying to show there’s no significant difference against our lead hybrids,” he said. 

Jeffries said a lot of companies select the competitors and varieties of seed they want tested against the genetics in their products.

In this case, Jeffries said farmers provide samples of the brand of seed and varieties they plan to put in the ground to have compared to what he supplies.

“We want to test against what our competition is selling to our customers and potential customers. It’s a different way of doing things,” he said.

He said farmers also personally receive the results of the testing performed by Scott Johnson, an independent statistician from Linden, Ind., with Spectrum Technologies.

Jeffries said he also hopes to shed light on independent suppliers like himself frequently overshadowed by the amount of advertising from major suppliers like DeKalb and Pioneer with much deeper pockets for marketing their products. 

“There really isn’t any difference between a lot of these genetics,” he said.

Despite little, if any, difference in quality, Jeffries said his seed often produces higher yields because the genetics are engineered to work best more locally.

The seed from major suppliers is designed for conditions in a region, which can vary more from one end to the other.

“A national company they need to pick a hybrid that works from Iowa to Ohio or Nebraska to Ohio.  We think that’s one of our advantages.  We can zero in on what works best in Indiana and Ohio,” he said.

Seed Direct Genetics is a supplier to farmers mostly in Ohio and Indiana, but their customers extend into Michigan, Kentucky and other states like Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina.

Jeffries said he also wants to promote the hometown touch farmers can expect from buying seed from local suppliers.

“They get to actually talk to the people making the decisions rather than talking to all of the middlemen. We’re easier to work with. There’s just a lot of advantages working with independent companies,” he said.

He hopes people who began purchasing more of their meat from local butcher shops after the COVID-19 outbreak started becomes a trend working its way over to local seed suppliers.

‘The national companies.  It’s not that their bad or anything like that but they’re making decisions for you and they’re very removed from the farm.  We’re closer to our customers,” Jeffries said.

Farmers wanting to participate should send 10 pound bags of seed with tags along with contact information to: Seed Direct Genetics, 9983 Jeffersonville-West Lancaster Road,  Jeffersonville, Ohio, 43128. Sample must be received by March 1.

SGD customers may also manage seed testing evaluation plots. The STEPP program is an on-farm customers testing program helping with research and providing additional data on current and new hybrids and varieties.

Customers interested in managing a STEPP plot should contact Todd Jeffries, Vice-President of the company, at toddj@seedgeneticsdirect.com or 812-212-0200.

Farmers are invited to manage Seed Direct Genetics owned test plots like this one in Shelbyville, Ind., to help develop new hybrids and varieties.