Area farmers got a look at how a new technology could make planting corn easier.

Friday morning at Doug Sheely’s farm near Brownsdale, locals and representatives from DEKALB seeds explained how a new seed may give better yields and require less effort from farmers.

Last year, Sheely showed interst in the new seeds and applied to be one of few farmers to try them out. The seeds, Genuity SmartStax, are a 95 percent biotechnology blend. The other 5 percent is refuge, or non biotechnology seed. The biotechnology seeds mean farmers won’t have to use traditional insecticides on their fields.

According to Rachel Stuart, account executive for DEKALB and Asgrow, traditional methods entailed buying two different types of seeds and blending them. And farmers were required to keep 20 percent refuge, too.

“The reason that RIB (refuge in a bag) Complete only needs a 5 percent refuge is because of the multiple modes of insect protection above and below ground, which reduces the chance of insects becoming resistant to the technology.”

Although late planting may put a damper on yields this year, Sheely is happy the product is easier to plant.

“It really makes it simple,” he said. “Before you used to have to keep it separate.”

Sheely hopes to finish planting by the end of the week. If the new seeds shows good results in the fall, he plans on using them next year, too.

Although the seeds only have a limited availability for 2011, Suart said they will be available to everybody throughout the corn belt in 2012.