Fresh Sweet Corn that Brings Grower and Consumer Benefits
Sweet corn is the pinnacle summer vegetable – found at backyard barbeques across the U.S., it’s a staple consumers have come to rely on to fill out their menu. As demand for this flavorful, sweet crop shows no signs of slowing; growers need hybrids that bring the taste consumers love and the reliability they need.
And Syngenta Vegetable seeds is here to support growers with the agronomic strengths they need, without sacrificing great taste and quality in sweet corn.
Join us in Plainfield, Wisc. Aug. 12-14 to see the newest innovations in fresh market sweet corn. Get to know the next blockbuster varieties your customers will crave with Syngenta's more than 80 years of experience in this industry.
Breeding Sweet Corn for Great Eating Qualities
The perfect ear of sweet corn is tender, with deep kernels, perfectly sweet, and flavorful – a difficult combination to find and one that breeders at Syngenta Vegetable Seeds strive for everyday.
“For us, it’s not only about the sugar content in corn,” said Johnny Parker, Syngenta Vegetable Seeds Product Specialist, Large Seeded Vegetable Fresh. “You know, it almost seems like some of the breeding companies are breeding for really high sugar where it's almost like you're putting a sugar cube in your mouth.
“We help protect the taste and quality in addition to sugar – corn should taste like corn, and we’re finding hybrids that hit that perfect blend of sweet and flavorful.”
Trialing specialist are using refractometers in the field to look at brix (sugar) content, ensuring that all hybrids meet the perfect level of sweetness, without sacrificing taste. Syngenta Vegetable seeds is honing efforts into:
SuperSweet sh2-Compared to ‘normal’ sugary sweet corn, SuperSweet contains four to 10 times more sugar. This high sugar lends itself to a sweeter taste and is available in all types of sweetcorn, including yellow, white, and bicolor.
TripleSweet-With the sweet taste consumers have learned to crave, and the traditional 'sweet corn' taste that is distinctive, TripleSweet varieties are perfect for home gardens, roadside stands, or producers growing sweet corn for fresh market consumption.
“The pericarp tenderness is going to tie directly into that sugar for overall eating experience,” Parker says. “We’re looking for something that’s tender with deep, bright kernels – we're finding the perfect package.”
Depending on where growers live, the hybrids are offered in white, bicolor, and yellow varieties – giving consumers the exact look they demand.
Safeguarding Sweet Corn Yields
Every acre is an opportunity – and lost yield from weather events, pests, and low-quality product hurts. We’re keeping an eye on the challenges that growers endure year-in and year-out to find solutions that help protect each precious kernel.
“One way we – literally – stand above is with our standability,” Parker explained. “Where other hybrids will turkey neck, lodge, you’ll find Syngenta standing tall. This is incredibly helpful at harvest, but also in reducing some diseases.”
Because sweet corn needs to keep up appearances in the husk and ears, every defense against pests and pathogens protects the final quality and marketability of the product. Add this to the Attribute® II sweet corn lineup, with tolerances to glyphosate and glufosinate herbicides and resistance to above ground insects, and the corn has a strong defense all season.
Discover this and taste the sweet corn you remember with the sweetness you crave in Plainfield this August.
Also discover innovations in garden beans and processing sweet corn!
© 2025 Syngenta. Some or all of the varieties may be protected under one or more of the following: Plant Variety Protection, and/or Utility Patents and may not be propagated or reproduced without authorization. Seed products with the LibertyLink (LL) trait are resistant to the herbicide glufosinate ammonium, an alternative to glyphosate in corn, and combine high-yielding genetics with the powerful, non-selective, post-emergent weed control of Liberty herbicide for optimum yield and excellent weed control. LibertyLink®, Liberty® and the Water Droplet logo are registered trademarks of BASF. Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
