There’s plenty of excitement for both economic and environmental reasons about the potential for biological nitrogen fixation for corn and other crops that don’t fix their own nitrogen, but a soil scientist from North Dakota State University says farmers and agronomists should be asking several key questions before counting on added organisms to supply N… Read More
Category: Corn School West
Research has repeatedly shown corn’s yield potential starts declining if plants don’t emerge within a tight timeframe, but dry conditions following planting can wreak havoc on best-laid plans for uniform emergence. If one in six corn plants is two leaf stages behind the rest, expect a four per cent yield reduction, says Morgan Cott, agronomy… Read More
The weeks following planting season — when problems that arose during planting are still top of mind and planter-related issues can be identified in the field — offer an opportunity to pro-actively perform maintenance and upgrades before parking the planter in the back of the shed. The summer months can also coincide with equipment dealer… Read More
The proof is in the plant stand when it comes to evaluating how a corn planter performed in spring. This episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School is all about grading planter performance, as we head to a field near Homewood, Man., with Breanne Rey of PRIDE Seeds and planter expert Andrew Kippen of North Valley Precision… Read More
Certain herbicides have done plenty of heavy lifting when it comes to the fight against weeds over the last number of decades, but as herbicide resistance becomes more common, it’s important to spread out that workload whenever possible. Corn is often a crop where there are more herbicide options, explains Jeanette Gaultier, technical services specialist… Read More
A European corn borer (ECB) population in part of eastern Canada appears to have developed resistance to a Bt protein commonly used in North American corn hybrids for preventing damage from the pest. On April 27th, the Canadian Corn Pest Coalition reported a sample of ECB collected near Truro, Nova Scotia, showed reduced susceptibility to… Read More
Record yields in 2022 after a late start are raising some questions about the assumption that earlier is always better for planting corn in Manitoba and other northern growing areas. Historical averages in Manitoba show a downward trend in yield with each week that passes in May, but the 2022 crop set a new bar… Read More
Soil acidity is an issue that’s gaining attention in the Northern Plains, especially in areas where no-till practices have been paired with high surface-applied nitrogen rates. “They’re seeing this advancing a lot faster in parts of North Dakota and Montana, under traditional zero till conditions where they broadcast urea fertilizer. They find they’re acidifying the… Read More
Whether the corn crop is just being planted or is emerging in the field, it’s time to do some digging around. If the crop hasn’t emerged yet, you can still do some diagnostics to evaluate how everything is going and get a better understanding of the corn root, and how the corn plant is growing…. Read More
Crop insurance deadlines may be looming, but the rush to get corn seed in the ground when it’s late in the planting window and soil conditions are wet can also cause problems, such as poor root development, later in the growing season. Sidewall compaction in the furrow is a common consequence of planting into wet… Read More
It’s been a tough year for growers in the west — some crops are getting by rain to rain, and some are relying on soil moisture alone with the chance of rain being a hope. Drought can affect silage quality and yield, obviously, but how can smoke from wildfires affect the corn crop? Sara Meidlinger,… Read More
Proper staging is critical when applying in-crop herbicides in corn, but there are multiple ways to measure corn’s growth stages, and herbicide labels don’t always use the same method. Agronomists often use the “leaf collar” — or V-stage — method to describe growth stages, while others use plant height. However, herbicide labels often refer to… Read More
Early-season corn scouting requires a little bit of time and attention, but can really pay off for the rest of the year and even into the next. Sara Meidlinger, market development specialist with Pride Seeds for Western Canada, joins Kara Oosterhuis for this Corn School episode. Scout representative areas of the field including good and… Read More
Precipitation, in both the frozen and liquid form, has been scarce in a large part of the northern corn growing areas of North America, creating the prospect of planting into a possible drought. There are several choices a grower can make to help maximize water use and mitigate drought risk, explains Alana Serhan, market development… Read More
Have you ever wondered just exactly how your corn develops in the cob? Understanding how corn makes a cob, successful kernels, and packs in starch can be a key component of an agronomic plan. “This top part is the tassel, and that is the male part of the plant,” says Sara Meidlinger, market development agronomist… Read More