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Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Selecting Corn Hybrids

Many of you have already ordered corn for 2014, but I read this article in No-Till Farmer and Thought it would be good to pass it along.  Many people rely on their seed dealer to help  select varieties that will work on their farm.  The article does  not say so, but consulting with the dealer's agronomist is also a good idea.  They caution against selection based on traits alone.  In the past, trying a few bags was a way to get data from your own farm, but often varieties change quickly, so it might be hard to keep up.  I know some farmers who say that yield trials are not always a true test.  Most people will not give a clunker a second chance.  Green snap, poor standibility, and susceptibility to diseases can ruin your harvest. 

1 comment:

Ed Winkle said...

So true, Dave, so true. Try some First Choice 808, it was the highest yielding corn I tested from Iowa to southern Ohio last year. It might be available from another company but I haven't found out who yet. Porter 4514, First Choice 805 and LG 2620 have been high yielders in that region the past five years.