Debunking Myths about Seed Corn

MYTH: EVERY SEED COMPANY HAS UNIQUE HYBRIDS TO OFFER.

TRUTH:  Thanks to the success of a few very large corn genetics providers, today there are relatively few companies actually involved in the breeding and development of truly new corn hybrids. At Stine, we actually go one further by creating our own unique inbred lines for breeding. This way we can ensure that we are offering a line of genetically unique hybrids custom-built from the ground up with Stine genetics inside.

MYTH: HIGH TEST WEIGHT IS REQUIRED FOR YIELD AND PROFITABILITY

TRUTH:  While test weight is often discussed as one of the most important factors in yields, research done by Cornell University actually found that there are actually four primary characteristics responsible for producing yield in corn: test weight, ear length, kernel rows, and kernel depth.  Of these, test weight accounts for only 10% of the total yield potential in corn. Number one? Kernel depth (40%).

MYTH: LARGER EARS PRODUCE LARGER YIELDS

TRUTH:  Huge ears of corn may look pretty, but in most cases ear size is a poor indicator of yield.  During the past 75 years, the US average corn yield has quadrupled.  During this same period, the average per acre corn planting population has also quadrupled.  The incidence of more plants per acre has caused today’s corn ear sizes to be smaller than the ears of the past, but with 4X more ears per acre it is easy to see why yields have increased, and why bigger is not always better.

MYTH: PLATELESS CORN SEED IS DIFFICULT TO PLANT ACCURATELY.

TRUTH:  Studies conducted by several universities have shown that there is no significant difference in plantability between graded and plateless (sometimes called “ungraded”) seed. Seed of mixed shapes and variable size, but of uniform drop, will plant and grow as well as graded seed. For this reason, the grading of corn seed adds a layer of complexity to the production of the seed, the inventory-tracking process, and to the grower’s buying process – complexity that is just not necessary in today’s world.

MYTH: ALL STRIP ROW TRIALS ARE CREATED EQUAL

TRUTH:  While many seed companies rely on four-row strip trials to evaluate hybrids, Stine utilizes six-row strip trials, where only the center four rows are harvested.  This process removes variability caused by the “shading effect,” where a taller hybrid may shade out a shorter hybrid and artificially skew yield data in favor of the taller lines.  These six-row trials result in better data and better hybrids.