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| Martin, you're only a little damp. I think what breeders are thinking is this: If I can only get X kernels per plant (per acre, whatever), I would like to make them weigh as much as they can to increase grain weight per plant.
Yes, environment is a factor but I have noticed over the years that high test weight corn tends to have higher test weight than comparison hybrids regardless of environment.
Back to test weight and yield. I'll buy for the moment that test weight does not impact yield. Test weight impacts costs. Storage costs are higher due to fewer bushels in a fixed volume. Trucking costs will increase due to fewer bushels in a fixed volume. It takes more trips to the field to haul low test weight corn. Get the picture? Using Kagen's example trucking costs increased 20%. If you are building bins, you need 20% more storage for the same bushels. If you haul 100 loads from an 120 ac farm, it will take 120 loads to haul the same bushels of low test weight corn.
Given equal yields, I'll chose a hybrid with high test weight over one that has low test weight every time.
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Bu. weight on corn revisited. This article was posted
