In the cattle industry, interest in new corn varieties stems from a desire to increase efficiency and production, whether utilized as a grain source, ensiled or left standing for winter grazing. Ensiled, corn offers high energy, a key to high milk production. And, although much of a silage’s quality is determined by in-field management, harvest… Read More
Category: Corn School
Real Agriculture’s Corn School provides you with everything you need to increase your corn yields. Each week we bring you the latest news and information from the corn market including corn futures, videos, articles and more. Join our Corn School email list and never miss a beat!
Do you plan on taking a nitrate-nitrogen soil samples this spring, before planting? The test for nitrate-nitrogen levels can provide key information in how much fertilizer should be applied for a growing corn crop. And, making that decision gets easier and easier. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has a handy table with… Read More
The Ontario Corn Committee (OCC) is well known for its hybrid trials, which compare hybrids for yield potential in various regions across the province, but, thanks to grower input, this year might look a little different. 2011-2014 OCC Hybrid Corn Performance Database “The Ontario Corn Committee has decided that in 2015, we will begin a… Read More
31-33% moisture: that’s when corn reaches physiological maturity, or black layering, according to Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). But, harvesting corn above 28% can result in damage to the grain, difficult marketing and the burdens of attempting to dry in storage. This late in the season, stalk quality may make the… Read More
Farmers still have a bit of time to evaluate their fields for levels of grubs and wireworms, two key pests that will factor in to the need for a neonicotinoid pesticide seed treatment. And that’s good news, because the deadline to ordering fungicide-only corn seed is rapidly approaching. Most companies have a mid- to late-November… Read More
Do you know what quality impact moving corn through your handling, drying and storage set up has? It can be significant, but if you’re not sampling (and sampling properly) at several points in the process, you can’t know for sure. What’s more, a good chunk of damage, either through too hot/too fast drying or moisture… Read More
Many producers are looking to strip-tillage as an intermediary between conventional and no-till farming systems. Like any tillage system, strip-till doesn’t come without its challenges. In areas with changes in terrain, it can be difficult to remain in position without adjusting the GPS/auto-steer system. Till-N-Plant Offers Strip-Tillage, Fertilizer Application & Planting in One Pass Gaining Ground: Digging Deep on… Read More
With reports of the first corn fields being harvested in Manitoba, producers will soon find out the extent to which early frost and Goss’s Wilt reduced yields. Both frost and Goss’s cause premature drydown of the leaves, explains Dieter Schwarz, market development agronomist with Pride Seeds, in this Corn School episode. “Once you’ve lost your green and… Read More
With corn harvest around the corner, the “push test” can help growers assess plant health and whether lodging will be a problem. As part of this episode of the Corn School, Dieter Schwarz, market develop agronomist for Western Canada with Pride Seeds, discusses the importance of plant health right through the dry-down process. Stalk integrity is critical… Read More
When a growing season doesn’t go exactly as hoped — a late spring, a cool summer, too much rain — corn growers get understandably nervous. Corn is a C4 plant — it can tolerate hot weather and needs rather warm weather to grow, set yield and mature. As much of Ontario deals with “weird and whacky”… Read More
In this episode of the Corn School, PRIDE Seeds’ market development agronomist Ken Currah takes a look at corn development stages, starting with tasselling and moving through development, to help growers evaluate maturity and yield potential. By tracking hybrids from pollination to the black layer stage, Currah shows how growers can assess each hybrid’s adaptability… Read More
After a cool July that felt more like September, much of Ontario’s corn crop will need a steamy August to make maturity. In this episode of the Corn School, Pride Market Agronomist Ken Currah explains that Ontario’s corn crop is about halfway to maturity and late-planted corn could be flirting with killing frost if Mother… Read More
The corn borer is a relatively low-level pest in much of the corn crop in Western Canada, but it certainly poses a risk. What’s more, just because you planted a corn borer-resistant variety doesn’t mean you get out of scouting — every farmer who grows corn should be scouting for the pest, says John Gavloski,… Read More
There’s a difference between new technology that becomes a useful tool and new technology that’s just a toy. The difference is largely in the practical application of what any given technology makes possible. Exhibit A: the smartphone — great and powerful technology, but likely also overwhelmingly used to share silly cat videos and status updates…. Read More
Growing a bumper crop of corn requires a big meal of plant nutrients. But if you’re going to feed a hulk of a plant, you’ve got to make sure you protect it too. Fungicides may not always be warranted, but if the yield potential is there and conditions are right for disease development, a fungicide… Read More