ASK THE AGRONOMIST BLOG

Stine agronomists have spent the last few months meeting with growers across the country at our annual Professional Farmer Series meetings. In those meetings, we’ve made it a point to discuss high-population corn — the benefits, challenges, best management practices and all other lingering questions about the innovation. Stine has always been at the forefront of high-population corn research and developing hybrids that thrive in higher populations and narrower rows. As our research evolves, so does our understanding of the best management practices that correlate with higher yields. Based on our multi-year research, we recommend growers follow these recommendations to make the most out of every acre of high-population corn they plant in 2020.

Start with the right hybrid. For a corn plant to thrive in higher populations, it needs the right genetics. Through Stine’s industry-leading corn breeding program, we’ve used our own line of genetically unique inbreds to custom build our high-population corn hybrids. These hybrids are shorter and narrower than traditional hybrids, with leaves that grow upright to catch more sunlight, which is essential for narrow-row configurations. For 2020, Stine has a number of corn hybrids with the high-population corn designation, ranging from an 85–87-day maturity to a 107–109-day maturity. We also have a number of conventional and Agrisure^®-traited corn options that work well in higher populations and narrow-row configurations.

Plant early when possible. Delayed planting results in taller plants and requires a hybrid suited for lower populations. The longer planting is delayed, the greater the need to decrease populations accordingly. Planting early allows growers the opportunity to plant hybrids that are ideally suited for higher populations and narrower rows. That said, we recommend growers monitor the temperature of their fields before they begin planting. Soil temperatures should consistently reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit for five days before planting. Planting into cooler soils could lead to uneven or delayed emergence. Growers should always consult the extended weather forecast before getting in the field.

Check soil drainage. Coming off a wet year in 2019 and what already looks to be a rough winter, growers considering high-population corn for 2020 need to keep a lookout for wet soil. Water-logged or poorly drained soils will be short of oxygen. When oxygen or water is the limiting factor in corn production, a lower population is needed.

Check for adequate nutrients. Phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen and sulfur are vital to any plant, but they’re even more important when you’re boosting populations. Ensure your soil has the appropriate nutrients to support higher populations. Timing is also essential. Phosphorus and potassium should be applied pre-plant or in furrow at planting. Nitrogen and sulfur need to be applied during the growing season as a sidedress or over the top application.

Determine the appropriate planting range. With designated high-population hybrids, growers can increase their populations by as much as 10-20% depending on typical planting populations, soil types, row spacing, fertility and yield goals. Through our research, we’ve developed a plant population and row spacing chart to help growers determine the appropriate planting range. We’ve also developed hybrid-specific recommendations based on genetics, row spacing and soil types. Please consult with your local Stine agronomist for these recommendations. 

Harvest as early as possible. Harvesting early will help reduce loss due to lodging, cylinder loss, separation loss and header loss from being too dry.

For more tips on best management practices for high-population corn, consult with your Stine sales rep.

Short-stature corn has been making headlines as of late. Recently, Bayer-Monsanto executives told ag media that they believe short stature corn will be the future of corn production. Among the benefits are better standability, adaptation to narrow rows and, ultimately, increasing populations. An October 3, 2019, article in Farm Journal’s AgWeb states that the company says its first short-stature corn will be introduced in Mexico next year, with hopes to introduce it in the United States in the coming years.

The good news is, the future of corn production is already here. Stine was the first seed company in the industry to introduce the ag world to commercially available narrow-row, HP Corn^® in 2012, and we’ve been expanding our lineup ever since. In August 2016, Successful Farming magazine ran a cover story on company founder Harry H. Stine and his quest to revolutionize farming with the development of a new breed of short-stature, high-density corn hybrids.

Stine has spent decades researching planting populations and row widths through our one-of-a-kind corn breeding program. That research has lead us to develop genetics that produce shorter, more efficient and higher yielding plants that thrive in higher populations. In fact, if you’ve visited any of our corn plots lately, you’ve likely noticed that Stine hybrids tend to be shorter than our competitors’ hybrids.

Here’s why.  

A more compact structure tends to produce strong roots and stalks, creating a sturdier plant that can often thrive in higher populations and in varying growing and environmental conditions. With shorter corn, you can benefit from more efficient nutrient uptake which leads to a stronger, healthier plant. Our research also indicates that this can lead to more efficient pollination, with the tassel and ear being closer together than in taller plants. And, with shorter corn and narrower rows, there’s more flexibility to operate equipment in and around fields for easier in-season applications.

Many of our industry competitors have recently recognized this trend and are beginning to produce their own shorter-stature hybrids, but Stine is already well ahead of the curve. If you look at our data, the average height of our hybrids was roughly 105 to 110 inches in 1996. Today, we’re trending around 90 inches for 105- to 115-day relative maturity hybrids. In fact, even Stine’s tallest hybrids are still shorter than most of our competitors’ hybrids. 

We at Stine commend our competitors as they begin down the path toward shorter, high-density corn production. We’re proud of our leadership position in this, which has positioned us to provide growers the hybrids of the future, faster.   

It’s never too early to start planning for the 2018 planting season. By now, growers should have received their Stine seed catalogs and talked to their agronomists about what’s worked well for them in 2017 and how to carry that over to the next year. For Region 5, which covers southern Nebraska and parts of western Iowa and northeastern Colorado, we’ve seen a lot of success and interest in the Stine^® HP Twin 20 planting system. 

This year, more than 12,000 acres were planted with the Stine HP Twin 20 planting system in southern Nebraska. This success has registered for farmers who are not only pushing populations on irrigated land but also on dry land.

One advantage of the Stine HP Twin 20 planting system is more equidistant spacing. With that, being able to push the population means that you’re going to canopy the ground sooner, which means you’re going to have less weed pressure later on in the season. Another advantage is that you’re going to see is cooler temperatures in the rows on hot days. When it’s 100 plus degrees, you can see up to a 15-degree difference when it comes to the Twin 20-inch system compared to wider 30-inch rows.

Other advantages of an early canopy in corn include light interception and erosion control. An early canopy keeps sunlight where it matters the most — on a corn plant’s leaves. This enables the plant to maximize every ray of sunlight and drop of rain during the critical late spring and early summer growing season. And one of the lesser-known benefits of the HP Twin 20 planting system’s early canopy is erosion control. When a raindrop hits the soil directly, soil particles bubble up and can be carried away. That’s not as likely to happen when raindrops first hit a thick canopy of corn leaves. The Stine HP Twin 20 planting system helps prevent channels of water running down rows, which means the soil particles stay put.

To learn more about the benefits of the Stine HP Twin 20 planting system, visit our website or talk to your local Stine sales rep.