Wednesday, November 22, 2017

2017 Wisconsin Corn Hybrid Performance Trials Grain - Silage - Specialty - Organic


2017 Wisconsin Corn Hybrid Performance Trials
Grain - Silage - Specialty - Organic

Every year, the University of Wisconsin Extension-Madison and College of Agricultural and Life Sciences conduct a corn evaluation program, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Crop Improvement Association. The purpose of this program is to provide unbiased performance comparisons of hybrid seed corn available in Wisconsin. These trials evaluate corn hybrids for both grain and silage production performance. In 2017, grain and silage performance trials were planted at fourteen locations.

Situation: A one bushel increase by Wisconsin corn farmers increases farm income $8 to $32 million dollars depending upon corn price.

Objective: To provide unbiased performance comparisons of hybrid seed corn available in Wisconsin.

These results are a ''Consumer Report'' for commercial corn hybrids. The trials evaluate grain, silage, and systems including organic, transgenic and refuge systems.

Monday, October 16, 2017

Corn yields of Wisconsin's Top Producers

Every day that passes without a killing frost means more and more cornfields in Wisconsin will mature normally. The extended fall during 2017 should improve grain yield and more importantly reduce grain moisture. We have just begun to harvest the UW Corn Performance Trials and so far, grain yields at Galesville and Chippewa Falls averaged 239 and 226 bu/A. Grain moisture at Galesville averaged 25.6% and 30.7% for the early- and late-maturity trials. At Chippewa Falls, grain moisture averaged 22.7% and 26.4%. Many hybrids yielded above 250 bu/A.

Corn grain yield progress continues. Nationally the two highest yielding years were 2015 and 2016 at 171.8 and 174.6 bu/A. U.S. farmers have added about 1.7 bu/A per year since 1996. Likewise, the two highest yielding years in Wisconsin were 2015 and 2016 at 164 and 178 bu/A. A similar grain yield rate increase of 1.7 bu/A per year is seen for Wisconsin since 1996.

Grain yields of the top-producers in Wisconsin are nearly double the state average. The highest recorded grain yields in the National Corn Growers Association Yield Contest range from 278 bu/A for the No Till/Strip Till Irrigated category to 327 bu /A for the Irrigated category (Table 1). The top-producers in Wisconsin have been adding 3.0 to 4.2 bu/A per year (Figure 1).

Figure 1 shows the relative progress between rain-fed and irrigated corn production systems in Wisconsin. There is little difference between systems for maximum yield. The rate of yield increase is slower for irrigated (3.0 to 3.6 bu/A per year) than for rain-fed systems (4.0 to 4.2 bu/A per year). In most years, rain-fed systems have greater yields.



Table 1. Highest recorded yields by Wisconsin growers in the NCGA corn yield contest (1983-2016).






Figure 1. Corn yield progress (bu/A yr) of top producers in Wisconsin. Data derived from NCGA CYC categories 1983-2016.

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Now is the Time to Begin Evaluating Corn Fields for Harvest


For most corn fields in Wisconsin, pollination and the "lag" phase of kernel development is wrapping up and we are in a "linear" phase of development where kernels are accumulating 4-6 bu/A per day. The grain filling period of corn lasts approximately 60 days (Figure 1). The "lag" phase starts with the kernel ovule fertilized by pollen and for the next 7-10 d cell division occurs in the endosperm. The "linear" phase is most important for yield and lasts about 40 days. For a 200 bu/A yield level, starch accumulates in the kernel endosperm at the rate of 5 bu/A per day during this phase. The grain filling period ends with a 7-10 d "maturation" phase when the kernel moves from 50% kernel milk to the black layer stage. During grain filling most management options are no longer available unless irrigation is available when water and N can be applied during the first half of grain filling.

Figure 1. Typical corn kernel development in Wisconsin.

Early August is the time to get a sense of what to expect and plan for in the coming harvest. Lots of things can still happen and we still have a long way to go before harvest, but now is the time to schedule custom harvest operations, plan the harvest queue, and make sure that adequate drying and storage capabilities are available. Also, marketing adjustments might need to be considered.

First determine the success of pollination.  There are two techniques commonly used to assess the success or failure of pollination. One involves simply waiting until the developing ovules (kernels) appear as watery blisters (the "blister" stage of kernel development). This usually occurs about 10 days after fertilization of the ovules.

Another more earlier means can be used to determine pollination success. Each potential kernel on the ear has a silk attached to it. Once a pollen grain "lands" on an individual silk, it quickly germinates and produces a pollen tube that grows the length of the silk to fertilize the ovule in 12 to 28 hours. Within 1 to 3 days after a silk is pollinated and fertilization of the ovule is successful, the silk will detach from the developing kernel. Unfertilized ovules will still have attached silks. Silks turn brown and dry up after the fertilization process occurs. By carefully unwrapping the husk leaves from an ear and then gently shaking the ear, the silks from the fertilized ovules will readily drop off. Keep in mind that silks can remain receptive to pollen up to 10 days after emergence. The proportion of silks dropping off the ear indicates the proportion of fertilized ovules (future kernels) on an ear. Sampling several ears at random throughout a field will provide an indication of the progress of pollination.

If harvesting corn for silage, use the following guidelines to time silage harvest:
  1. Note hybrid maturity and planting date of fields intended for silage.
  2. Note tasseling (silking) date. Kernels will be at 50% kernel milk (R5.5) about 42 to 47 days after silking.
  3. After milkline moves, use kernel milk triggers to time corn silage harvest.Use a drydown rate of 0.5% per day to predict date when field will be ready for the storage structure. See http://fyi.uwex.edu/silagedrydown/ 
  4. Do final check prior to chopping. Adjust cutter height if forage needs are adequate. Raising cutter bar 1 foot, lowers silage moisture 2 to 4 points.
If harvesting corn for grain, estimate yield using the component method:

  1. Count the number of harvestable ears in a length of row equivalent to 1/1000th acre.
  2. On every fifth ear, count the number of kernel rows per ear and determine the average. Try to use a system such as the 5th, 9th, and 13th ears from one end of the row.
  3. On each of these ears count the number of kernels per row and determine the average. (Do not count kernels on either the butt or tip of the ear that are less than half the size of normal size kernels.)
  4. Yield (bushels per acre) equals (ear number) x (average row number) x (average kernel number) divided by 89.605* = bushels per acre
  5. *or multiply by 0.01116
  6. Repeat the procedure for at least four additional sites across the field.
Other methods for calculating corn grain yield can be found at http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/AA/A033.aspx.

Friday, May 5, 2017

How Quickly Can Farmers Plant Corn in Wisconsin?

Today, corn planters will begin to roll again in many areas of Wisconsin. We have some good weather coming up and quite a few acres will be planted. I was curious about how quickly can Wisconsin farmers plant corn?

We are just finishing Week #17 in the USDA-NASS reporting system. I pulled 31 years of data to analyze and use to answer the question. We typically have about 50% of our corn acres planted by May 15 (see Figure 1). One of the earliest planting seasons was 2010. In the last 30 years 2016, 2010, 2006, 2005, 2000, and 1999 were earlier than normal planting seasons, while 2014, 2013, and 1996 were later than normal planting seasons.

Figure 1. Wisconsin corn planting progress from 1987 to 2017. The bold blue line is the 30-year normal. Other lines are years that were earlier- or later-than normal using + one standard deviation. Click figure to enlarge.

There have been four times when over 1.5 million acres of corn were planted in a week in Wisconsin. The record week jump in planting progress occurred  during Week #18 of 2000 when 1.54 million acres (44% of 3.50 million acres) were planted. During 2015, 1.52 million acres (37% of 4.10 million acres) were planted during Week #18. During 2007, 1.54 million acres (38% of 4.05 million acres) were planted during Week #19. During 1999, 1.51 million acres (42% of 3.60 million acres) were planted during Week #18.

In the U.S., Iowa planted the most acres in a week during 2011 when 8.60 million acres (61% of 14.10 million acres) were planted during Week #18. Minnesota during Week #17 of 2000 and Ohio during Week #18 of 2003 planted the greatest proportion of acres at 65% (MN= 4.68 of 7.20 million acres and OH= 2.14 of 3.30 million acres).

Safety First and Pay Attention to Detail

Please remember SAFETY FIRST! during the planting season. Patience is key. Make sure fields are fit, equipment is maintained and that you are well rested. Remember to pay attention to detail. The planting process sets up your whole season. The "sins of the past WILL come back to haunt you" if you are sloppy or careless during this important time.

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Corn Planting Date Concerns for 2017

The recent cool, wet weather has some farmers concerned about corn planting. We are currently in the optimum range for the corn planting date response. Soon we will be on the downhill side of this response where grain yield decreases AND grain moisture increases. However, there can be quite a bit of variability associated with this response.

Figure 1 shows the corn planting date response at Arlington during the 2010s. During this time, the average planting date that produces maximum corn grain yield is May 4 (the range has been May 1-7). Farmers can still be within 95% of the maximum yield between April 18 and May 20. The narrowest planting date "window" where you could still achieve 95% of the maximum yield was during 2014 between April 25 and May 19 (24 days). The widest window was during 2011 between April 11 and May 21 (40 days).

Figure 1. Grain yield response to planting date for full-season corn hybrids at Arlington from 2010 to 2016.


We planted our first planting date at Arlington on April 17. We planted the hybrid grain and silage trials at Montfort on April 24, Janesville on April 25 and Hancock on April 28. Some university agronomists have written about the potential for imbibitional chilling (see IA and NE) during this growing season. At Janesville and Hancock corn was planted just prior to and during the recent cool, wet weather conditions. We will see how well these trials emerge. They will also be a good test for measuring seed quality differences among hybrids and companies.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Evaluation of Ascend®: Hormones that stimulate corn root growth - Experiment 2

During good times and bad, but especially years with strong grain prices, numerous products appear on the market that seem too good to be true. Often these products come with wild claims. Little information is available for growers to make an informed decision, so it often becomes a case of “buyer beware.”

Ascend® is touted by Winfield Solutions, LLC, as a "... tool to increase plant efficiency" and "... can stimulate higher yields through a larger root mass ..." Ascend® contains the plant growth regulators cytokinin (0.09%), gibberellic acid (0.03%) and indole butyric acid (0.045%). It can be applied at rates of 4.5 to 6 oz/A in-furrow at planting, 2x2 inches below the seed at planting, at 6.4 to 10 oz/A at the 3 to 10 leaf stage, and/or at 6.4 oz/A at the R1-R3 leaf stage. We tested the plant growth regulator Ascend® at eleven locations in Wisconsin by applying it to an adapted hybrid and comparing it to the same hybrid left untreated during 2012 (4 reps) and 2016 (3 reps).

The 2012 results have been posted earlier (click here). If there was any growing season when a corn root growth enhancer should work it was during the drought of 2012. During 2012, locations that exhibited significant drought stress included Chippewa Falls, Lancaster, Janesville, Arlington and Fond du Lac. Hancock was an irrigated site. At seven of eleven locations there was no statistical difference when using Ascend®. At three of eleven locations, the untreated plots yielded more than plots treated with Ascend®. At one of eleven locations, Ascend® treated plots yielded more than untreated plots. At none of the sites that had significant drought stress during the growing season did Ascend® stimulate higher yields. Across all locations there was no statistical difference between corn treated with Ascend® (196 bu/A) and untreated corn (200 bu/A).

During 2016, we expanded the number of Ascend® treatments to in-furrow and foliar treatments. All were applied within the labelled rates and timings. The 2016 growing season was an ideal season throughout the state. Little stress was observed. We measured no significant yield response using Ascend® plant growth regulator (Table 1). At only one location, Hancock, was there a statistical difference using Ascend® when the control and the Ascend® foliar treatment were higher yielding than the Ascend® in-furrow and Ascend® in-furrow + foliar treatment. Across all locations there was no statistical difference between corn treated with Ascend® (228-230 bu/A) and untreated corn (230 bu/A). No statistical differences were observed for other agronomic measurements (Table 2).

Table 1. Corn grain yield (bu/A) response of Ascend® plant growth regulator treatments compared to an untreated check during 2016.

Table 2. Agronomic response of Ascend® plant growth regulator treatments compared to an untreated check during 2016. Values are means across 11 locations.


Ascend® is a "buyer beware" product. Across all locations, the yield range due to treatment response is 2 bu/A, with the untreated check as responsive as the best Ascend® treatment.The evidence from 11 locations across two years seems to confirm the conclusion to be "wary" of this product. However, I always encourage people who may want to try it on their farm to do so by buying a small amount and testing it across a few acres. You may find a response on your farm. If you do, you can always buy more next year.