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Yield

Yield is usually the number one priority when planting a hybrid, but keep in mind hybrids depositing a larger percentage of sugars and starches into grain have fewer nutrients available for rind and pith development. Likewise, hybrids with large stalks and thick rinds have fewer sugars and starches available for high grain yields. So try to keep plants out of high disease environments, such as continuous corn on corn, and watch hybrids that have good stay green to help with the stand ability issues. Also, keep fertility levels high enough so that the plant doesn’t run out of nutrients and die prematurely. Select for the characteristics that best fit your farming operation, not what your neighbor’s are doing. Sometimes you may need to give up your yield for stand ability or vise versa. Take a close look at traits available. Bt usually helps with disease and insect stand ability issues. Roundup can help reduce the stress that is placed on young corn plants under cool, wet growing conditions by not placing herbicide stress on them, and rootworm technology helps keep insects from feeding on roots, thus limiting their ability to take up nutrients and water.