HPJ Talk Q&A: Mustang Seeds Sharpens Upper Midwest Focus for 2027
Austin Horn discusses Mustang Seeds’ regional strategy, the variable 2026 crop and corn and soybean products heading into the 2027 growing season.
As harvest gets underway across the Upper Midwest, growers are already beginning to make decisions about seed for 2027. In this episode of HPJ Talk, host Kylie Reiss speaks with Austin Horn, commercial brand lead for Mustang Seeds, about the company’s renewed focus on the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin, what the company is seeing from the 2026 crop and what growers can expect from its 2027 corn and soybean portfolios.
This episode of HPJ Talk is brought to you by Mustang Seeds.
Kylie Reiss: Tell us a little about Mustang Seeds, your role with the company and what is different about Mustang’s approach.
Austin Horn: Mustang Seeds was started in 1963 in Madison, South Dakota, by the Schultz family. Ray Schultz started the company, and his son Terry and daughter-in-law Lori are still involved in the business today.
In February, it was announced that Mustang Seeds, after expanding for many years, would focus going forward on a four-state geography that includes North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Mustang Seeds started as a family-owned organization more than 60 years ago and today continues that legacy of local knowledge and service while being backed by GDM.
We are glad to be backed by the world-class breeding engine of GDM and offer products that are bred, selected and tested in real-world environments here in the Upper Midwest.
My role is commercial brand lead. Sales, agronomy, customer service and market development report through me, and we work closely with our marketing and product teams to bring the portfolio forward.
I have been with the company a little over four years, and I am excited about this new era for Mustang Seeds. We are focused on the Upper Midwest and bringing products that are stable, high-yielding and selected for this region.
Our focus is one thing: seed in the Upper Midwest and great genetics.
Kylie Reiss: Why does that regional focus matter to growers?
Austin Horn: It allows us to put our emphasis on the northern part of the Corn Belt and the Upper Midwest rather than working from a coast-to-coast strategy where what a grower does in North Dakota or Wisconsin may be a small part of the overall picture.
Even within our territory, there are a lot of differences from east to west and north to south in how growers farm and how crops are used.
It allows us to really focus on the needs of a grower looking for dual-purpose corn in Wisconsin compared with a grower in western South Dakota who needs ear flex and low-population options.
We are the brand focused on that and that alone. We can select products and solutions specifically for what growers are doing within this geography.
Kylie Reiss: How does Mustang Seeds combine that regional focus with larger breeding and research resources?
Austin Horn: There are a couple of different angles to that.
One is the proprietary genetics we source through GDM’s research and breeding engine, which gives us products that are unique and bred both within this territory and through a larger breeding pipeline.
At the same time, we source products wherever we can find the best solution. Whether a product comes through our own pipeline or another pipeline, if it belongs in our portfolio and can help our growers, we want to offer it.
At the end of the day, that gives us a broad and deep portfolio with solutions for many different environments.
We also have agronomy resources and sales knowledge on the ground to help place those products in ways that give growers the best opportunity for success.
Kylie Reiss: As harvest gets underway, what are you seeing from the 2026 corn and soybean crop?
Austin Horn: It is variable.
There are definitely a lot of areas that are dry and have fought challenges from early in the season through now. In those dry areas, yields are going to be challenged.
Some corn may not have pollinated completely. Some crops are drying down faster than growers would like, and there may be situations where they have to move to Plan B and chop a crop for feed or silage.
Where the weather has cooperated, however, there are areas of Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as other parts of the footprint, where crops are looking really good.
There were some timely rains, especially in August, that should benefit soybeans in a lot of cases.
There is going to be good corn out there, but like any year, there are challenges and a lot of variability. Within the same year, we may have growers experiencing their best year while others experience their worst.
Kylie Reiss: What should growers know about the Mustang Seeds 2027 corn lineup?
Austin Horn: We are bringing Mustang Seeds into this new era of focus within our four-state footprint, and part of that involves bringing together products from three different portfolios: LG Seeds heritage products, Legacy Seeds and Mustang Seeds itself.
That puts a lot of great products together under one consistent portfolio.
If you have been a Mustang grower, there are going to be some new things to look at. We also have 11 products that are new to Mustang Seeds for all of our dealers and growers.
We are bringing top-end yield potential, broad adaptability and stability, along with strong stalks and roots.
Disease packages are also important, whether growers are dealing with tar spot, Goss’ wilt or even southern rust, which we have seen show up over the last couple of years.
The goal is to give growers a package of products that can handle what the weather throws at them, supported by expert placement from our agronomy team.
Kylie Reiss: Are there any corn products that particularly stand out?
Austin Horn: It is hard to pick just one, but there are a few.
One is 134V91, a VT4 Pro product. It has a combination of agronomics and yield, broad adaptability and stability, strong roots and strong stalks. It is a 91-day product, so it is something we are really excited about in our earlier markets.
Another is 42A00, a VT Double PRO product. Again, it has strong stalks along with good green snap tolerance. It moves east to west very well and has excellent grain quality and test weight.
That is a 100-day product.
Those are a couple that stand out to me, but there are many more behind them.
Kylie Reiss: What is coming on the soybean side?
Austin Horn: Our soybean lineup gives growers excellent iron deficiency chlorosis tolerance, standability and white mold tolerance.
We have varieties built for the environments they are going into, with broad adaptability and the ability to withstand some of the difficult conditions we know growers will encounter.
Our soybean go-to-market approach includes both XtendFlex and Enlist trait offerings.
Our XtendFlex soybeans will be offered as Mustang Seeds, while our Enlist soybeans will be offered under the Voltus brand.
We have 12 new products being launched through Mustang Seeds and Voltus this year that we are very excited about. They range from very early maturity products into Group 2 soybeans.
There are some great new and proven products in that lineup, and growers should work with their local retailer or dealer to determine which ones work best in their environment.
Kylie Reiss: What should growers consider when matching hybrids and varieties to their acres for 2027?
Austin Horn: Look at multiple years of history and do not make the decision based only on what happened last year.
We want to understand what is important to the grower, what they are trying to solve for and what challenges they are trying to manage or overcome.
Growers should not see Mustang Seeds come in and immediately say, “This is the best product.”
Without knowing what a customer is trying to accomplish and what the history of that farm has been, we cannot make a good recommendation.
We are there to learn first and then match our portfolio to the operation.
It is difficult to predict what the market or the weather is going to do. Having a package of products helps diversify the operation.
I would encourage growers to consider multiple products rather than simply choosing whatever performed best last year. Look for a long track record, the right agronomics and proper placement for your acres.
Kylie Reiss: Are there any new soybean products you are especially excited about?
Austin Horn: One that stands out on the earlier side is Voltus 0967 Enlist.
It is a late Group 0 to early Group 1 maturity soybean that delivers strong yield potential, quick emergence and good standability through harvest.
It is a good offensive soybean to pair with proven products such as Voltus 1015 Enlist.
That is one I would especially draw growers’ attention to in our earlier markets.
Kylie Reiss: What do you hope growers take away from this conversation?
Austin Horn: First, we want to thank growers for their business and for what they do. Farming is challenging and honorable work, and we are proud to work alongside growers.
Mustang Seeds started as a family organization and continues as part of a family-owned company today. We are here for the Upper Midwest.
We want to offer great products, quality seed, local agronomic expertise and excellent customer service.
We want to learn each operation and walk alongside growers rather than simply sell them a product.
Growers can reach out to their local Mustang Seeds dealer, district sales manager or agronomist. We are glad to talk seed and serve as an advisor however we can.
We offer choice, and we are backed by GDM’s breeding pipeline and research engine. We have access to our own breeding pipeline, but we also look beyond it to source the best products we can find.
Growers can learn more at mustangseeds.com.
About the guest
Austin Horn is commercial brand lead for Mustang Seeds. He oversees sales, agronomy, customer service and market development and works with the company’s marketing and product teams. Horn has been with the company for more than four years.
