Dear Clint,
Welcome to our weekly agronomic newsletter. Feel free to forward this email to any corn or soybean producer you think might benefit from this weekly newsletter.
Remember to check the agronomy article archives, as we are posting about 20 new agronomic articles every week on the website. |
Dealing with delayed corn planting
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The fact that less than 1% of Illinois corn was planted by April 15
means that the start of corn planting is considerably later than it's
been in recent years.
With so much
on the line with high corn prices this year, there is growing concern
that we are starting to lose some yield potential for each day that
passes with little planting progress. Corn that we planted here at
Urbana on April 2 was just starting to germinate on April 17, with
roots and shoots less than a quarter of an inch long. The seed was
still very sound, reflecting its past two weeks in the refrigerator
that the soil has been. There has thus been little agronomic advantage
to planting in early April this year. >> Continue reading this article >> Here's what the Penn State has to say >> |
Will the recent cold temperatures halt early-season pests?
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 Much has been written about the effects of last week's low temperatures
on crops (alfalfa, wheat), but some have wondered about the effects on
some of our early-season insect pests, particularly alfalfa weevils,
black cutworm, and white grubs. Below are several articles on this topic.
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Does kernel size effect yield?
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Kernel size and shape is determined mainly by where the kernels originate on the ear:
- SMALL ROUNDS come from the ear tip
- FLATS come from the middle of the ear
- LARGE ROUNDS come from the butt of the ear
Kernel shape can also vary by hybrid and weather.
Many years of research have shown that seed size and seed shape have no effect on early season growth or grain yield.
Here are my recommendations:
- Plant quality seed
- Select an adapted hybrid with high yield potential and the desired agronomic traits
- Keep kernel size in perspective, because it has no effect on: Seed vigor, Emergence, Final yield
Yield is impacted by these factors (roughly, in this order):
- Genetics
- Insect resistance
- Seed treatment
- Herbicide resistance
- Planter maintenance and calibration
- Planter type
- Kernel size
Some seed sizes need special attention with some planters, so talk to your planter and seed company for guidelines.
SOURCE: Orvin Bontrager, Servi-Tech, Inc. |
