2020 SUMMER INTERNS: Kayla Geyer

My name is Kayla Geyer, and this summer I have the privilege of being an intern with Prairie Valley Seed. I cover the west side of Nebraska as well as some areas in Kansas and Colorado. I currently am starting my senior year of college at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. At Northwest I major in agriculture business and minor in precision agriculture.

This summer I’m working with Cole Mangers, one of Prairie Valley’s District Sales Managers, to cover the west territory. Starting out this summer I didn’t really have a background in seed, so all corn looked the same to me. I attended several plot days held for the seed salesmen by the DSM’s and started to really understand and see the different performances between Prairie Valley Seed and other vendors. Different performances as in: height, color, emergence, stock quality, and root development. This all plays a role in getting the right hybrid out to the right grower to match their field. I have also been to Hastings Owners Acres to document how each hybrid was reacting to treatments being put on, as well as the high winds we had early on this growing season.

The best part about being a Prairie Valley intern so far this summer is being able to experience and see how different hybrids react with different soils. I am from Missouri, so being in Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado with all different soil types amazes me. With the days flying by, I enjoy the interactions with growers and being able to discuss things we are seeing in the field. So far there has been the topic of corn seed maggots, thistle caterpillar, gray leaf spot, anthracnose, northern corn leaf blight, and holcus that we are starting to see.

At recent plot days, we hit on the subject of diseases and insect pressure we should start looking for in the weeks to come, and how to get ahead of it or control it once it’s here. My time with Prairie Valley has been great so far, and every day I learn something new. Everyone I have worked with has really been welcoming and knowledgeable in my journey. I am really looking forward to the rest of this summer.