ASK THE AGRONOMIST BLOG

Every year, our high-population corn research reveals something new. In 2014, we garnered some excellent insights that will guide us in our 2015 research. If you’re also planning to shift to higher-population planting, follow these tips to make the most of your acres:

Plant early — Delayed planting results in bigger plants and requires a lower-population hybrid. The more delayed you become, adjust populations down accordingly.

Check soil drainage — Water-logged or poorly drained soils will be short of oxygen. When either oxygen or water is the limiting factor in corn production, a lower population is needed.

Choose the right hybrid — Stine is developing hybrids specifically suited for high-population planting. They are shorter than traditional hybrids and have leaves that grow upright to catch more sunlight. These hybrids also feature compact structures that produce outstanding roots and stalks, ensuring a sturdier plant, which in turn helps it thrive in higher populations.

Check for adequate nutrients — Medium to high levels of phosphorus and potassium with the appropriate amount of nitrogen and sulfur applied at the proper time is essential. Most of this needs to be applied during the growing season as a sidedress or over the top application and must include the sulfur.

Consider planting range — On highly productive soils, for example, plant in the 41,000 to 51,000 range, with the high end of the range restricted to the newest short hybrids.

Harvest early to maximize gains — Getting the crop out in a timely fashion will help minimize weather-related harvest issues.

Assuming optimum weather and field conditions, we expect following these protocols will result in yield gains, including an increase of three to nine percent by making the switch to narrow rows with a more equal planting distance. Additionally, selecting the right hybrid for your field — and with the right genetics for high-density planting — could mean a five to 12 percent yield increase. And ensuring your soil has the proper nutrients, as well as timely nitrogen applications, may result in a 10 to 20 percent yield boost.

At Stine, we believe that high-density corn production will lead the way to consistently averaging 300 bushels per acre or more year after year. Contact your local Stine Seed dealer or agronomist to get started on your yield of dreams. 

Over the last eight decades, corn yields have increased as rows have gradually narrowed. Stine is now positioned to dramatically speed up that trend through our HP corn research. The days of consistently averaging 300 – or even 400 – bushels per acre in your corn fields may not be far off, as we develop new genetics specifically for high population environments.

For years, Stine has been breeding hybrids designed for planting at higher populations. They’re shorter and narrower than traditional hybrids, with leaves that grow upright to catch more sunlight. Most importantly, these plants have the stalk strength and disease package suited for high populations.

Last year, our HP corn planted in 12-inch rows reached 300-plus bu/acre in areas with the best growing conditions. This year, we took our HP corn research to the next level, planting thousands of acres in 12-inch rows at the Stine Farm. The narrower rows allow us to push populations up around the 51,000 mark. Only hybrids bred specifically for this purpose will thrive at these populations.

We also planted dozens of demonstration plots across the Corn Belt to give growers a firsthand look at how some hybrids are well suited for higher populations and some are not. 

We recently introduced a new resource for growers interested in HP corn. The website www.stineseed.com/hp includes a video describing our research, the characteristics of HP corn hybrids, the locations of our HP corn demo plots, the equipment we customized to plant in narrower rows and much more. We encourage you to visit the site to learn more about the philosophy behind HP corn and why it makes so much sense.

With aggressive breeding programs and an eye on the future, Stine is the seed company that’s creating the hybrids that will shape tomorrow’s corn yields. 

A delegation from Stine attended the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) convention in Chicago in early December, where much discussion focused on new soybean technologies that will be available in the coming years. Stine is already committed to licensing these technologies, which will give growers additional weed control options packaged in premium, high-yielding genetics.

 The new technologies include:

• Enlist E3 Soybeans, another offering in the Enlist Weed Control System portfolio. Enlist E3 will feature three herbicide tolerant genes stacked together, including a new 2, 4-D choline, glyphosate and glufosinate. Growers will be able to spray Enlist Duo herbicide with Colex-D Technology over the top of Enlist soybeans, which has minimized potential for drift and near-zero volatility. Pending regulatory approval, E3 Soybeans are expected to be available in 2015.

• FG72 Soybeans pair high-yielding elite genetics with a double herbicide tolerant trait stack providing tolerance to glyphosate and isoxaflutole, which is the active ingredient in Bayer’s Balance Bean herbicide. Both glyphosate and isoxaflutole are non-volatile chemistries that will not affect adjacent crops. Pending regulatory approval, FG72 soybeans are expected to be available in 2015. FG72 is the current working name for the soybeans. An official brand announcement will be made in late winter 2013.

• The Roundup Ready Xtend crop system,when approved, will feature the industry’s first soybean with tolerance to glyphosate and a reformulated low-volatility dicamba. Developed by Monsanto, the product is expected to be released in 2014.

As more information about these new weed control solutions becomes available, Stine will work to help growers understand their benefits, and best practices for preserving the effectiveness of glyphosate, like rotating chemistries and crops. Watch for more information on this blog and on Facebook and Twitter.