Every farmer likes to see the perfect photo finish in the field at harvest – ears filled out with plump, golden kernels of corn. But how do you know you’re going to achieve that ultimate goal?
Ken Ferrie says there are several things to look for when you evaluate plants now.
The first thing you’ll want to look for is whether you have a bit of cannibalization at the bottom of each plant. Don’t let the word cannibalization scare or confuse you. A little of it at the bottom of corn plants as black layer nears simply indicates you haven’t left much yield potential in the field.
You also want to see a ripe husk in the center of the plant while, at the same time, you want to find the plant is still somewhat green in the middle and at its top, says Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist and owner of Crop-Tech Consulting Inc., Heyworth, Ill.
“The longer you are green at the top of the plant and green in the middle, the more you’re jamming (starch) into every kernel. This is going to be crucial for our D hybrids’ depth of kernel,” he says.
In the following Agronomic Minute, Ferrie shows an example of what the perfect photo finish looks like and discusses how you can achieve it. Check out what he has to say here:
