The whole refuge in the bag concept is a great one and now GROWMARK is making it available. This spring there are two FS Seed corn varieties that have the Refuge In Bag (RIB). They are FS 54VX1 RIB and FS 61BX1 RIB. Each bag contains the correct blend of traited and non-traited seed needed to meet refuge requirements for both above- and below-ground pests.

“FS Seed is one of the few regional seed companies to offer Genuity® SmartStaxTM RIB CompleteTM for planting this spring,” said Lance Ruppert, FS Seed sales and marketing manager. “Our focus has been and will continue to be to bring the best seed innovations to growers through our FS Seed brands, and this is just the latest example.”

Farmers using Genuity SmartStax seed corn are required to plant five percent of their corn acres with non-traited varieties, to help reduce the development of resistant pests. Using RIB Complete technology eliminates the need to dedicate certain acres to refuge. “Growers can purchase and plant one product that satisfies their need for both yield potential and IRM (insect resistance management) refuge requirements,” Ruppert said. “ This simplicity helps make planning and planting more efficient.” Farmers interested in using RIB Complete corn this spring should contact their local FS crop specialist.