Yield Builders
Targeting peak uptake windows through precise nitrogen and phosphorus placement can bridge the gap between a 160-bu. crop and a 300-bu. harvest.
Barbell, beer can and banana are descriptive names for abnormal ear shapes that show up every season and cause yield losses — problems growers could avoid more often by tuning into three factors researchers refer to as GEM.
In many areas of the Corn Belt, farmers experienced 10-to-50-bu.-per-acre yield losses from disease pressure this year, says Ken Ferrie. In a period of tight margins, timely treatment decisions were more crucial than usual.
Agronomists answer farmer questions about the role of nitrogen and other nutrients in lessening the potential impact of yield robbers such as southern rust and tar spot in corn.
From emergence to maturity, nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for corn, but plants have different nitrogen demands at different growth stages. Consider how corn yields are influenced by nitrogen at VE, V6, V10-V12 and R5-R6.
Analyzing both old and new growth, a sap test measures nutrient levels in the plant’s vascular tissues to identify current and soon-to-occur deficiencies.
With planting season right around the corner, David Hula and Randy Dowdy challenge farmers to reevaluate the ‘why’ behind their crop production practices and use real information to back up their decisions.