by Amanda Smith, Associate Editor
Throughout the Midwest and Northeast, dairymen are awaiting the opportunity to get their corn crop in the ground. Since corn silage makes up the bulk of dairy rations, it's essential to ensure that your ducks are in a row as those first few seeds drop from the planter. In the Miner Institute Farm Report last April, Ev Thomas shared several items to consider as you get your corn planter ready to roll.
First, noted Thomas, will you plant enough seeds to produce high yields if growing conditions are good? If not, you may be limiting yields before you even start. With normal ear and kernel size, you would need about 32,000 plants per acre to get a yield of 200 bushels per acre. Assuming a 10 percent seed loss, that equates to 35,000 kernels per acre.
Speed kills. Planting too fast may kill your chances for top corn yield. While planter manuals may state that corn can be planted at seven to eight miles per hour, it could be at the expense of plant uniformity. Planting at five miles per hour is fast enough for many conditions.
Don't plant corn less than 1.5 inches deep; with May plantings, 2 inches is preferable. Research has found that a 1.5-inch plant depth resulted in the same grain yields as a 3-inch depth, while yields were much lower at a 0.5-inch depth. Much of the difference was due to lower plant populations and small, low-yielding plants. The only way to ensure you're at the appropriate depth, added Thomas, is to get off the tractor and dig for seeds.
To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.
(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2015
April 20, 2015
Throughout the Midwest and Northeast, dairymen are awaiting the opportunity to get their corn crop in the ground. Since corn silage makes up the bulk of dairy rations, it's essential to ensure that your ducks are in a row as those first few seeds drop from the planter. In the Miner Institute Farm Report last April, Ev Thomas shared several items to consider as you get your corn planter ready to roll. First, noted Thomas, will you plant enough seeds to produce high yields if growing conditions are good? If not, you may be limiting yields before you even start. With normal ear and kernel size, you would need about 32,000 plants per acre to get a yield of 200 bushels per acre. Assuming a 10 percent seed loss, that equates to 35,000 kernels per acre.
Speed kills. Planting too fast may kill your chances for top corn yield. While planter manuals may state that corn can be planted at seven to eight miles per hour, it could be at the expense of plant uniformity. Planting at five miles per hour is fast enough for many conditions.
Don't plant corn less than 1.5 inches deep; with May plantings, 2 inches is preferable. Research has found that a 1.5-inch plant depth resulted in the same grain yields as a 3-inch depth, while yields were much lower at a 0.5-inch depth. Much of the difference was due to lower plant populations and small, low-yielding plants. The only way to ensure you're at the appropriate depth, added Thomas, is to get off the tractor and dig for seeds.
(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2015
April 20, 2015
