Wyffels Hybrids Inc.
We`re an independently-owned seed company in an industry of multinational giants. We take our responsibilities personally. We care more, try harder and work smarter than companies you may be used to. And our employees know that serving corn growers is a privilege, not a job. At Wyffels Hybrids, we lay it all on the line to bring you better products, more professionally, than any other seed company.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations
- Business Type:
- Service provider
- Industry Type:
- Agriculture
- Market Focus:
- Nationally (across the country)
About Us
We’re often asked, “How do you guys keep doing this in a world where the big get bigger and the small go away?”
Unlike many things in life, the answer here is not too complex—our margin of error is razor thin. Simply put, we have to do it better and we are.
We are acutely aware of our situation in this industry. So you can probably understand why we may not go to sleep completely comfortable every night. But hopefully you can also understand why we are so proud of the people that choose to do business with us—we call them “Free Thinkers.” And why we are so proud of our 100 full-time employees who put it all on the line for you and your success.
If you’ve done business with us lately, you probably understand. And if you haven’t experienced our products and people, we sincerely invite you to be a part of what we’re creating.
History
OUR ROOTS RUN DEEP
In the early 1900s, William Wyffels Sr. and his wife, Alma (Francque) were children of Belgian immigrants who came to the United States in pursuit of a better life in the farming communities of west central Illinois.
In 1941, Bill married Alma. A few years later, they purchased a 160-acre farm in northern Henry County, with hopes of building their own farming operation.
Wyffels Hybrids began with oats in the 1940s, when oats were used for feed and bedding by pork producers. At the time, Henry County was the largest pork producing county in the nation, and all of Bill and Alma’s neighbors were active in this industry. Hoping to discover an oat variety that could withstand Illinois winds, Bill and Alma collaborated with the University of Illinois to establish the annual Henry County Oat Demonstration Plot on the Wyffels farm.
New oat varieties from the University of Illinois and other Land Grant institutions were collected and planted on the Wyffels farm, and farmers were invited to view the new varieties and listen to Extension Agents and University of Illinois breeders discuss the varieties and latest production issues. In 1946, Bill and Alma began their first year in the seed business selling oats.
By the 1950s, farmers were growing more corn and fewer acres of oats. Bill catered to the needs of his customers and began selling his first seed corn to neighboring farmers in 1956. Southern leaf blight devastated the Corn Belt in 1970, leading Bill to transition into marketing true single cross hybrids.
1973 was a big year for Wyffels. W26, a unique, high-performance corn hybrid that performed extremely well in county test sites earned the attention of growers, and soon there was great demand for the product.
Research
Focused on Corn
Corn Is Our Business
Wyffels’ team of plant breeders and technicians concentrate solely on corn. The result, a level of effort uncommon in the seed business—especially among companies marketing seed for multiple crops. We intensely focus on developing hybrids for the heart of the Corn Belt.
Our targeted corn research gives corn growers rapid access to stable, high-performance hybrids with advanced genetics and cutting-edge seed corn technologies.
Knowing What You Need
Our plant breeders are not only charged with product development. They are also responsible for determining the agronomic characteristics and value-added traits corn growers need to be more profitable. Important to this process is the ongoing commitment by the Wyffels’ research team to direct, on-farm interaction with growers and seed representatives across the marketing area.
This is a unique approach in the seed business, but Wyffels considers it the best way for our corn breeding team to understand realistic needs and set selection priorities.
Beyond Product Release
Wyffels’ product evaluation program is the best in the business. Hybrid placement recommendations and performance expectations are based on extensive data and personal in-field observations by our corn breeders across many environments. Your Wyffels Seed Representative is an excellent resource for further information and trained assistance in selecting hybrids for your farm. The ultimate goal of the entire Wyffels team is to help you maximize profits from your corn acres.
Providing the Best Technology
At Wyffels we have access to the best technologies available. Our five full time breeders and our research technicians not only specialize in matching the best technologies with our products, they also focus on product performance.
Providing our customers with technology is one thing, ensuring these technologies provide superior hybrid performance on your farm is another. Our breeders ensure they know the most about the technology we license and how it will work best with our traits and hybrids.
Our independent research sites allow us to evaluate technology objectively, unencumbered by a parent or holding company. We need to bring genetics and trait platforms together only where and when our objective, first-hand knowledge says it fits. And we will remain completely focused on only those technologies which can best help you increase whole farm income.