There is no room for error when it comes to producing hybrid seed corn. It’s a complicated business, and one of the keys to success is effectively detasseling rows of female plants of one inbred line so it can be fertilized by the second male inbred line, creating a hybrid. On this episode of The… Read More
Category: Corn
When it comes to planting and establishing corn in a cereal rye cover crop, the growing corn can be adversely impacted by rye’s allelopathic effects, the release of chemicals that inhibit the plant’s growth. But rye can also limit the amount of light, and quality of light, available to corn when it’s growing in the… Read More
Crop residue is a real conundrum: not enough, and soil is vulnerable to wind and water erosion; too much, and the next crop suffers. Corn residue in particular can cause some real headaches for the subsequent soybean crop. To talk about why that is, and how to manage it, we go to experts Horst Bohner… Read More
Biostimulants designed to enhance performance and yield are nothing new in the corn management world. But growers can expect to see more and more of these products as manufacturers look to bring to market management solutions that alleviate the abiotic stresses plants experience when growing conditions are either too hot, cold, wet or dry. On… Read More
When should you apply nitrogen on a corn crop and how much? That question consumes countless hours every year for corn growers, researchers, and agronomists. Seven years ago, Rodney, Ont., grain farmer Mike Miller, like many growers, was also playing the guessing game. But that all changed when he bought a self-propelled sprayer and started… Read More
Andy Kieraszewicz never thought the sandy soils on the former tobacco land he farms at Rodney, Ont., could ever average more than 200 bushels of corn per acre. But a fervent commitment to rebuilding organic matter in the drought-prone areas across the 1,000-acre operation has the farmer now consistently producing eye-popping yields he didn’t think… Read More
Protecting yield potential from northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) and a newer pest, tar spot, requires being well-armed and ready to apply the right fungicides at the right time. That’s because these diseases are not only big yield robbers, but the window to provide adequate control is quite narrow, and gets narrower with certain weather… Read More
Transgenic traits that defend corn plants against against damaging corn rootwoom have been around since 2003. But in recent years, farmers have seen growing resistance to these traits and researchers and seed companies are working to preserve the effectiveness of the technology while also develop new ways to combat the yield-robbing pest. One of those… Read More
Corn growers often turn to tissue testing to diagnose a problem. When plants in a field are yellowing or pale, grabbing a sample and sending it to the lab can seem an obvious way to confirm a nutrient deficiency. But there’s more to the tissue testing story than simply identifying a problem and finding a… Read More
In Ontario, corn growers are approximately six weeks into the growing season and now is a great time to do a couple tests to reassess the nitrate levels and decide on what the best plan is to sidedress nitrogen, on a field by field basis. Deb Campbell, agronomist with Agronomy Advantage, joins us for this… Read More
We’re back with another episode of The Agronomists, and as always, we’re excited to be here. Today’s show — hosted by Lyndsey Smith — features Greg Stewart of Maizex Seeds and Elizabeth Karpinchick of Tone Ag. The trio discusses in-crop N applications in the corn crop (and more). The Agronomists is brought to you by… Read More
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) will not be performing soil nitrate tests for public extension this growing season. Which begs the question: will it pay for farmers and agronomists to draw tests in corn fields anyway? The answer — if the field saw any manure or red clover the in… Read More
The race is on for many corn growers as they hustle to apply post-emergent herbicides to control yield-robbing weeds. The duration of the post-emergence application window depends on the herbicide. A product like glyphosate can be applied all the way up to the 8-leaf stage. But other herbicides have tighter timing and need to be… Read More
When it comes to corn, even emergence and uniform plant growth is a well-known recipe for a high-yielding crop. New research also shows that even emergence is a significant contributor in the fight against gibberella ear rot and deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulation and other mycotoxins associated with the disease. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School, University… 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