11.03.06 - The Secrets to Maximum Corn Yields in the Mid-South
Corn is becoming a crop of greater importance to southern growers every year. The benefits of growing corn are so numerous that even those who haven't considered growing corn in the past, are taking a hard look at its potential for their operations. Planting corn in rotation with other crops such as cotton and soybeans improves soil structure, breaks disease and insect cycles and returns balance to the nutrient profile of the soil. That’s why corn is having such a positive impact on yields of both cotton and soybeans when they are planted in alternate years. In addition, high market prices corn and the potential to produce high yields are changing the way farmers in the Mid-South look at corn as an important part of their cropping plan.
But the number one consideration as to whether farmers grow corn is yield. Today's growers must have top yields. For the second year in a row, the Dulaneys of Clarksdale, Mississippi have proven that you can have corn yields ranging from 220 to 289 bushels per acre, or higher, if you manage corn the way it needs to be managed under southern conditions.
According to Terry and Edwin, co-owners of Dulaney/AgVenture Seed, "As farmers who produced and sold soybean, rice and wheat to farmers for many years, we have focused our seed business on the things that benefit farmers the most; the newest varieties, the highest quality seed and exceptional field support.” But when we started producing corn in a serious way three years ago, we discovered that to be successful, you need to think like a corn farmer because raising corn is different. "You need to get into the corn cycle.” says Terry. "That means adopting specific "secrets” that are part of the entire formula to producing exceptional corn yields in our part of the country."
Three years ago the Dulaneys decided that they needed to do something different on their farm if they were going to continue to provide what the 21st century marketplace was demanding- better food and better fuel. They decided to incorporate a seed corn business designed for the Mid-South into their already successful Dulaney Seed, Inc. "We believed that because we were farmers AND seedsmen, we had true insight as to the value a seed company needs to bring to its customers. We choose right genetics to put into our AgVenture corn line-up that specifically adapted for the Mid-South just as we have done for years with our soybean, rice and wheat program. We also teach our corn customers to follow specific corn planting and crop management techniques that will allow the varieties to produce to their maximum potential.
"Our plan has worked," says Wayne Dulaney, lead Agronomist for Dulaney⁄AgVenture. "Our goal is to raise 300 bushel per acre corn consistently here in the south. And we and a number of our customers are already close to achieving that goal.
Here are a few of the "secrets” Dulaney/AgVenture Seed offers to growers who want to raise maximum yields in the Mid-South.
Change how you think. Think like a corn farmer, not a cotton, soybean, or rice farmer. Corn can be one of the most profitable crops to grow, but you have to adapt your thinking to corn because it's different.
First - You MUST Have Exceptional Quality Seed
Seed quality is the No. 1 factor in getting top corn yields. You can have the best genetics in the world, but if the seed quality is only average, the variety will produce only average yields. In the Mid-South we plant early when growing conditions can be tough. That’s why corn growers need the highest warm germination and cold test readings possible. While the industry average is only 95% germination, our AgVenture seed is 98% germination or higher. Look at this example of the impact extremely high seed quality can have on profits. If a grower’s corn yield goal is 210 bu/acre and he is planting 30,000 plants per acre, he will be producing seven bushels of corn from every 1000 seeds he planted. If that corn grower is planting 98% germination seed instead of the industry standard of 95%, he will get 3% more pure live seeds in the bag or nearly 1000 more live, healthy plants per acre. That means 7 more bushels per acre, FREE in the bag. At $3 per bushel market price, that is $21 per acre extra profit when he plants the higher quality seed. Plus, at this high of quality, EVERY seed in that bag is healthier than those in a bag of average quality.
Second - Plant 2 inches deep
To get top yields, plants need as many roots below ground as possible. When a corn seed is planted 2 inches deep, it gets 5 full nodes of underground roots versus 3 when it is planted more shallow. This affects water uptake, resistance to disease and insects, and yields. AgVenture Agronomists are on our customers' farms at the start of planting making sure everything is set correctly and working properly.
Third – Develop a Cropping Plan
Corn growers who develop a cropping plan far in advance of the next cropping season have huge yield advantages. Why? Because we have more time to match the right varieties with the right fields. This is another area where we at AgVenture have set ourselves apart from the rest of the industry. Most companies write seed orders with their customers, but no one does cropping plans like we do. We work with the grower to choose the right varieties for his farm by first looking at the fields and knowing where these varieties are going to be planted and how they will be managed. We help our customers with their important decisions far in advance. Having the time to study fields and soil types is key to choosing a variety. Few farmers are aware that 75% of all corn varieties never produce to their potential because they are planted on the wrong soils.
Finally, Understand the Variables
There are more than 1000 variables that control a corn crop. We look for more than just yield when we measure the overall performance of a variety. We have found through our extensive on-farm testing that there are many differences in varieties. Our AgVenture varieties have been chosen for the Mid-South. Rate of emergence based on saturated cold test readings, days to silk, and days to tassel are just some of the factors that should be considered when recommending a corn variety. Our knowledgable Agronomists develop cropping plans that bring all this information into play to help the farmer control as many of those variables as possible.
If you are considering corn as part of your 2007 crop mix, don’t make a move until you talk with people who can not only help you produce a better crop, but can also help you make more money than you ever thought possible. Knowing you can produce more bushels of corn than you ever thought possible and selling those bushels at high prices is an opportunity NO ONE should miss. Call the AgVenture Team today and ask how they can help you blow the lid off corn yields AND profits in 2007. You’ll be glad you did.
DULANEY⁄AGVENTURE SEED 662-627-7060 OR TOLL FREE AT 877-974-7333