Jim Paulson, PRO Division of Byron Seeds
I want to welcome everyone to our Ohio Corn Field Day. We want to try to show here, in the field, is that we have some different combinations of hybrids. Hybrids that we call side kicked with the 57H 50 Ultra. Then we also have some varied populations. Through that, we’re trying to look at what we have as some uniform management across the whole field. We’re looking at some variations, what corn we’re growing, and what population. I like to focus on one measurement of bushels per 1000 plants. Do we see a difference if we drop from 34,000 seeds planted to 31.5 or 31.5 down to 26? We have some straight 57H 50 fields with 12 or 24 rows. We will have those at different populations and side kicking with commercial hybrids or experimenting with male sterile. When we do that, we’re trying to see if we can achieve both yield and oil content optimal for the market or the intended use. That is what we have been concentrating on this year.
We’re replicating this across multiple farms—four in the immediate state of Indiana, some experimental plots, and a farm in Minnesota. We’re going to see some differences in fields, farms, and management. Yet, all top management and some top potential. One of the things I like to measure is bushels per 1000 plants. We’re trying to get longer ears, girthier ears. We will make up that yield difference if we can pick up two more rows, more kernels in length, and a deeper kernel. On average, most of this ultra corn tends to be darker kernelled corn. You can see how the germ makes up a larger portion.
Stock diameter and stock diameter above the ear are also important. Can we get a little bigger stock diameter by dropping population? When we do, we have greater potential to fill that ear better. That’s one of the reasons we’re trying some of the variables.