
Don’t Confuse Test Weight and Yield
Corn growers often mistakenly correlate test weight (TW) to yield. The two measures are actually only marginally related. Relying too much on test weight can cause growers to over- or under-estimate their yield.
Corn growers often mistakenly correlate test weight (TW) to yield. The two measures are actually only marginally related. Relying too much on test weight can cause growers to over- or under-estimate their yield.
One of the questions Hedrick gets asked about 2022 most often is, ‘How did you choose the hybrid?’
“It started with a bunch of arguments between me and Clif,” he laughed. “We were at our commodity conference last year and I said, ‘Clif, we have this farm and the ground is really special. We’ve pushed it as hard as we can and we want to put a racehorse hybrid on it again this year to see how much further we can push it.”
“We do a lot of field walking. As a farmer, the visual indicators of getting out in the field – seeing the crop conditions, weed pressure, disease pressure – really being able to see that with your own eyes, that is so valuable. Doing your own agronomy work, versus having standard scouting done by other people, helps us make better management decisions and see a higher return on investment. That’s why we walk so many fields.”
For a productive growing season, a corn plant’s brace roots are essential. Brace roots serve as an anchor, while also contributing to nutrient and water uptake. For healthy brace roots, quality genetics and planting standards are needed. Combining AgVenture seed with the Maximum Profit System™ planting standards will set you up for success and strong brace roots.
The status of corn is an interesting one even after most have caught some rain. The wind and/or hail issues that ran through several states left corn beat up and laid down. Across Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois, it is tasseling or will be within the next week or two. Corn is very short with shorter than normal internodes.
If you would like to learn more about how you can thrive by becoming an ISC, let us know.