ASK THE AGRONOMIST BLOG

Stine^® corn has yield, and we are constantly improving our product lineup to ensure we offer the right products for our grower customers’ field types and environments. Several experimental corn numbers have advanced from our Elite Yield Trials to our Master Yield in the Field plots this year and are in production for the 2022 sales season. Of our 15 new experimental numbers, seven are 99 days relative maturity or earlier, which is something we’re excited about as we expand our earlier maturity offerings. Here are a few products we encourage our grower customers to check out when they’re touring Stine plots this summer.

Stine 9003-G Brand Corn
Agrisure^® GT trait package
76–78 days relative maturity
Glyphosate tolerant
Strong emergence
Early flowering
Good drydown
Responds very well planted at higher population on highly productive soils
Plant as a full-season hybrid

Stine 9442-G Brand corn
Stine GT^™
100–102 days relative maturity
Glyphosate tolerant
Versatile hybrid for all soil types
Medium plant/ear height that will work great on gently rolling hills
Yielded 106% in our 2020 Early/Mid-Elite Yield Trials

Stine 9442-20 Brand Corn
Agrisure Viptera^® 3110 and LibertyLink^®
101–103 days relative maturity
Best-in-class above-ground insect control
Glyphosate and glufosinate tolerant
Versatile hybrid for all soil types
Medium plant/ear height will work great on gently rolling hills
Yielded 107% in our 2020 Early/Mid-Elite Yield Trials

Stine 9547-G Brand Corn
Stine GT
101–103 days relative maturity
Glyphosate tolerant
Positive response to higher populations (Stine HP^® Corn designation)
Yielded 107% of trial average in Stine’s 2019 Early/Mid-Elite Yield Trials, 116% in 2019 trials

Stine 9633E-G Brand Corn
Stine GT
106–108 days relative maturity
Glyphosate tolerant
Responds to increased planting populations
Earlier version of our Stine 9633-G Brand
Excellent choice for higher populations
Yielded 111% of trial average in our Elite Yield Trials 

Stine R9658-32 Brand Corn
Agrisure Duracade 5222 E-Z Refuge^®
106 days relative maturity
Plant as a full-season hybrid
Plant on average to productive soils
Harvest early for best results

Stine 9659-G Brand Corn
Stine GT
107 days relative maturity
45” ear height
91” plant height
Yielded 113% of trial average in our Elite Yield Trials 

Stine 9714X-20 Brand Corn
Agrisure Viptera 3110
106 days relative maturity
39” ear height
90” plant height
Yielded 104% of trial average in our Elite Yield Trials

9709X-20 Brand Corn
Agrisure Viptera 3110
113 days relative maturity
43” ear height
96” plant height
Yielded 106% of trial average in our Elite Yield Trials

Stine R9752-32 Brand Corn
Agrisure Duracade 5222 E-Z Refuge
112 days relative maturity
Plant on loam to clay-loam soils
Fungicide recommended
45” ear height
109” plant height
Yielded 111% of trial average in our Elite Yield Trials

To learn more about our newest elite, high-yielding corn products, contact your local Stine sales representative today.

Agronomists, dealers and growers alike work every year to find the highest yielding corn hybrids and soybean varieties available in their area. One way to achieve this is to plant plots, in which they will compare multiple brands and hybrids against one another. These plots can serve as a perfect venue for field days and offer exposure to certain brands looking to promote their hybrids and varieties. Mastering yield in the field is no easy feat, but with the right protocols in place, the right hybrids and varieties, and best management practices, you increase your statistical abilities to achieve your desired outcome come harvest time.

The key to a successful plot begins with getting a full picture of the plot location. Before you start planting, get the complete information, such as fertility levels, cation exchange capacity, organic matter, nitrogen rates and type, and previous crops planted in the field. These factors will help determine which hybrids/varieties to use.

Another detail to consider is equal representation. Equal representation in your plot provides a more accurate portrayal of the hybrid/variety and how it measures up to its competition when it comes to yield, standability and plant type. For example, you want to choose hybrids/varieties that are blocked by similar height and plant accordingly to that hybrid/variety, not the plot average. Plants blocked by similar height help eliminate some of the shading effect, which offers each hybrid/variety the opportunity to achieve equal yield potential. I recommend planting more rows wide than length; a minimum of six rows wide will help reduce the shading effect versus the standard four row plots.  

Field checks are also important when it comes to best management practices on a plot. You want to plant the same hybrid/variety in a few different places within the plot to see how consistent the soil is. This will give you an idea of which hybrid/variety performs better on certain ground and soil types.

When implementing the proper measures to ensure a successful plot, it’s important to remember than even with the right amount of moisture and having the hybrid/variety placed correctly, you only have about a 60 percent chance of beating out the competition. Take notes from your plots this year, so that your odds of maximizing yield improve next year.

For nearly five years, Stine has been experimenting with dwarf corn hybrids — developed from dwarf inbreds and designed to produce shorter, more efficient, and higher yielding plants. Dwarf corn hybrids average between 65 and 70 inches in height, with ear placement occurring at the 40-inch mark or higher on the plant. Approximately 4,000 different dwarf inbreds are currently being researched at the Stine nursery in Adel, Iowa, — all of which are bred for high-population planting — and Stine is already seeing the benefits of the smaller, more efficient plant structure.

One of the main benefits we’re seeing is there’s a longer management window because there’s more flexibility to operate equipment in and around your field, so you’re not relying solely on helicopters and planes for applications. You can also pack more plants into a smaller area, resulting in less overall biomass in the plant and better plant efficiency. Growers find that with taller plants, a lot of wasted energy goes into the stalk. In a shorter stalk, nutrients can distribute to the area of the plant that benefits the most — the ear.

Additionally, dwarf corn hybrids offer a higher resistance to lodging. Because of the plant’s significantly shorter architecture, it’s less likely to blow over or fall down in strong wind events. And some research suggests that there is a correlation between how close the tassel and ear are together on a plant and overall yield potential. This results in a more efficient pollination process, which in turn promotes a higher-yielding plant.

The work in this area is still very preliminary and, even if successful, Stine is still several years from introducing a dwarf corn hybrid to the market. But as our research continues at the Stine Seed Farm, it’s clear that dwarf corn may have a promising future in the corn industry.