Corn seeding rates continue to increase. Dr. Thomison, Corn Specialist at Ohio State, indicate that seeding rates across the country have increased 280 plants per acre per year according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Our modern corn hybrids can handle high populations. Growers adjust their plant populations upward carefully with concern about our northwest Missouri weather. We have had good rains during summer and good growing conditions.
The basis for many who advise growers is based on the productivity of the soil. Lower productivity soils are planted to lower populations whereas higher populations are planted to more plants per acre.
Growers have moved their planting populations upward because hybrids can perform well in low and high yielding environments, that is, yield stability. Hybrids have more tolerance to drought, better stalks and disease resistance.
Our population tests at the Graves Chapple Farm indicate that under high yield environments, high populations increased yields. Once stresses occur, there is an optimum population in which increasing numbers of plants will not increase yield. In poor yielding areas, corn populations did not increase yields and in this year’s corn stress plots, yields were level.
If planting high populations on lower yielding soils, the most common type of injury is from stalk lodging. Barren stalks may increase but this is not typical with most modern corn hybrids.
Under productive yield environments, most research indicates that planting a corn hybrid slightly above recommended rates is better than below because of yield losses. Again, the most common risk is lodging.
Always check with your seed company in following recommendations that are suited to the genetic background of the corn hybrid.
For more information, contact Wayne Flanary at 660-446-3724 or Heather Benedict at
660-425-6434, Regional Agronomists, University of Missouri Extension.
No comments:
Post a Comment