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| Good Morning Gerald from Edgar County (where another rain has once again dashed hopes of any field work-)
As usual, I agree with most everything you brought up. My ire on high pops comes from what I and several of my neighbors experienced in our fields in 2008: beautiful stands of corn where the corn head went silent. These spots weren't very big, but like water damage, they don't have to be to have a large affect over-all on a field. Misery loves company, so as a neighbor here or there stepped forward with similar stories from their fields, I was relieved to know it extended beyond my methodology. But the problem still remained. Perhaps incorrectly, we have laid blame to populations too high for conditions.
Seed companies HAVE been paying attention to improved utilization of nitrogen. In a season where nitrogen becomes less available when needed this reflects well upon their hybrids that are more efficient -and takes care of a problem I am powerless to fix at that point in the season. As has been stated above, with the potential every corn plant has to produce, I would prefer to see selection for hybrids that is more efficient with my soil bank's fertility. I do not like crowding the population envelope in a high stress year. That's a risk I could have control over. | |
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Seed corn genetics heading in the right direction ?
