Great questions often come in to my office from Iowa agronomists and represent what many others are likely asking as well. I received one recently regarding hybrid selection in relation to corn following corn systems:

“I am looking for any research or articles detailing the effects of planting the same hybrid into the same field in consecutive years for a corn on corn rotation. Do you know of where I can find anything…?”

Response:

One of our graduate research assistants, Wade Kent, is conducting a literature search on this precise topic in preparation for designing and planting his 2008-2009 research project. Here is a summary of what we currently understand and recommend in relation to this question:

We are not aware of any research reports that give a definitive answer to the question of hybrid performance if a single hybrid is used continually in a corn-on-corn system. We do, however, have a fair amount of information on crop rotation effect in a continuous cropping system, which shows an average yield loss of 9 to 14% when corn follows corn versus soybean; this research used different hybrids though and was not looking at the continued use of a single hybrid. As of right now Kent’s proposed study is perhaps the only one with replication of a hybrid following itself in a continuous corn system. We do not know of other researchers currently looking at these issues although projects may exist.

Our opinion, with limited supportive evidence, is that the performance of a single hybrid will decrease if continually used in the same corn-on-corn system mainly due to stresses (such as foliar diseases) developed from the continuous cropping environment. Alternating hybrids and the associated strengths (and weaknesses) of those hybrids is important in continuous cropping systems to limit the buildup of negative influences (disease inoculum for example as already mentioned). Therefore, rotate disease-tolerant hybrids from one year to the next in corn-on-corn situations.

Please contact us with questions you have regarding our research program or ideas you have.

SOURCE: ISU’s Roger Elmore

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