Growers can throw the kitchen sink at corn to increase yield but there’s no guarantee that the extra inputs will improve the bottom line when the crop goes to market. That was certainly the story Purdue University associate professor and extension corn specialist Dr. Dan Quinn observed in his trials across Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky… Read More
Category: Nutrient Management
Biologicals have tremendous potential to help growers manage the stresses that impact corn throughout the growing season. Questions remain, however, on how to deploy these products, which include living organisms, bacteria, amino acids or plant extracts, in the pursuit of higher corn yields. AGRIS Co-operative agronomy strategy manager Dale Cowan has been testing biologicals for… Read More
Like most crops, a strong, high yielding corn crop depends on what nutrients are in the soil. Knowing what is currently in the field is key to deciding how much of what to add in. With corn being a such a big, high-yielding plant, this crop is particularly reliant on a high amount of nitrogen,… Read More
Corn plants need boron throughout the growing season. The uptake curve for the micronutrient is pretty linear from emergence to black layer, but making boron available in the ear later in the season, where it plays an important role in sugar movement and developing kernels, can be difficult. The challenge, says AGRIS Co-operative senior agronomist… Read More
Proper staging is important for understanding how to scout and manage corn, whether for timing fertilizer, herbicide, insecticide or fungicide applications. It’s also critical for understanding plant development, and how stressors at different stages can affect results, including yield, cob size, and kernel weight. But the problem is there are multiple ways to measure corn’s… Read More
As the calendar turns to the back half of June in Ontario, growers typically sharpen their focus on nitrogen management as the crop pushes into its rapid growth phases. But what’s happening in the field in mid June 2024 is really dependent on where in the province you farm and whether you’ve been able to… Read More
Growers and agronomists typically focus on the ear leaf at flowering when tissue testing corn to determine nutrient needs. But is that still the best choice for determining the optimal nutrient prescription for the crop as it moves into the reproductive stages? Purdue University professor emeritus Dr. Tony Vyn believes the evolution of modern hybrids… Read More
Corn growers often apply nitrogen later in the season to gain more control of the crop. At the V10 or V11 development stage, growers typically have a better understanding of how the crop is developing, its yield potential, the growing environment and what the market is willing to pay. There’s also logistics to consider —… Read More
Can heavy July rains fuel nitrogen leaching and push the valuable nutrient beyond the reach of corn plant roots? That’s a question Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs corn specialist Ben Rosser has been hearing a lot lately as many areas of the province have been dealt a deluge of rain. On this… Read More
Where should growers place fertilizer in strip-till strips to best protect the seed from injury while optimizing nutrient uptake? Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs corn lead Ben Rosser says Ontario does have “safe rate” recommendations for in-furrow and 2″x 2″ planter banding but no guidelines are currently available for strip-till fertilizer placement…. Read More