February 17, 2022
To compare yearly research data, click on a tab.
February 17, 2021
Dryland Corn Seeding Rates Effect on Product Grain Yield - 2021
TRIAL OBJECTIVE
Selecting appropriate products and seeding rates are key to helping achieve high yield potential in dryland corn production.
Low corn populations can promote the formation of tillers (a.k.a. “suckers”). There is controversy as to whether tillers compensate for grain yield by producing more than one ear per plant.
The objective of this trial was to determine the effect of corn seeding rate on tiller incidence and grain yield for different corn products.
RESEARCH SITE DETAILS
| Location | Gothenburg, NE | ||
| Soil Type | Hord silt loam | ||
| Previous Crop |
Wheat | ||
| Tillage Type |
No-Tillage |
| Planting Date | 5/13/21 | ||
| Harvest Date | 11/09/21 | ||
| Potential Yield (bu/acre) |
200 | ||
| Seeding Rate (seeds/acre) |
See Below |
The trial was set up as a randomized complete block design with four replications.
Nine corn products were evaluated with six Channel® and three Pioneer® brand corn products with relative maturities (RM) ranging from 100 to 112 days.
The four corn seeding rates used were 12,000, 16,000, 20,000, and 24,000 seeds/acre.
Tiller incidence was measured as a percentage of the number of plants that presented tillers relative to the total number of plants in the plot.
Corn was fertilized with a stream bar before planting (04/06/2021) with 90 lb/acre of nitrogen (N), 40 lb/acre of phosphorus (P), and 20 lb/acre of sulfur (S). Nitrogen was also side-dressed on 06/22/2021 using Y-drops at 60 lb/acre.
Weeds were controlled uniformly across the study area.
UNDERSTANDING THE RESULTS
Figure 1. Tiller incidence (%) of different Channel® and Pioneer® brand corn products according to seeding rates in dryland conditions at the Bayer Water Utilization Learning Center, Gothenburg, NE (2021). LSD (least significant difference) calculated as part of a larger trial containing 20 corn products.
There was a significant interaction between product and seeding rate in tiller incidence in this study.
Even though tiller incidence varied by corn products, a greater tiller incidence was observed under lower corn seeding rates of 12,000 and 16,000 seeds/acre compared to higher seeding rates of 20,000 to 24,000 seeds/acre (Figure 1).
Table 1. Difference in tiller incidence according to seeding rate and product selection at the Bayer Water Utilization Learning Center, Gothenburg, NE (2021). LSD (least significant difference) calculated as part of a larger trial containing 20 corn products.
All Channel® brand corn products significantly reduced tiller incidence as the seeding rate increased. However, only one Channel® corn product, 207-90STXRIB, did not significantly reduce tiller incidence from 20,000 to 24,000 seeds/acre.
The tiller incidence reduction from 12,000 to 20,000, and from 12,000 to 24,000 seeds/acre was significant for all Channel® and Pioneer® brand corn products evaluated (Table 1).
Figure 2. Average grain yield of Channel® and Pioneer® brand corn products according to seeding rates under dryland conditions at the Bayer Water Utilization Learning Center, Gothenburg, NE (2021). LSD (least significant difference) calculated as part of a larger trial containing 20 corn products.
- There was a trend of greater corn grain yield as seeding rates were increased across corn products tested in this study (Figure 2).
Table 2. Difference in corn grain yield according to seeding rate and product selection at the Bayer Water Utilization Learning Center, Gothenburg, NE (2021). LSD (least significant difference) calculated as part of a larger trial containing 20 corn products.
The corn grain yield response to seeding rate was product selection dependent. Most of the differences in grain yield between different seeding rate increments were observed from 12,000 to 20,000; 12,000 to 24,000; 16,000 to 20,000; and 16,000 to 24,000 seeds/acre (Table 2).
The least grain yield differences in the corn products tested were observed from 12,000 to 16,000, and from 20,000 to 24,000 seeds/acre (Table 2).
KEY LEARNINGS
Lower corn seeding rates yielded less than higher seeding rates and produced more tillers. Tillers did not compensate for grain yield.
The presence of tillers was not associated with reduced corn grain yield as tiller incidence and yield was compared across products.
- Talk to your local Channel Seedsman to determine which corn products and seeding rates best fit your production system.
3021_R3_21
February 11, 2021
Dryland Corn Seeding Effect on Product Yield - 2020
TRIAL OBJECTIVE
- The objective of this study was to determine the seeding rate for multiple DEKALB® brand corn products that resulted in the greatest yield potential at two separate dryland locations (Scott City, KS, and Sublette, KS).
RESEARCH SITE DETAILS
| Location | Scott City, KS Sublette, KS |
||
| Soil Type | Silt loam | ||
| Previous Crop |
Corn Wheat |
||
| Tillage Type |
No-Tillage |
| Planting Date | 4/28/20 4/29/20 |
||
| Harvest Date | 10/13/20 9/20/20 |
||
| Potential Yield (bu/acre) |
150 | ||
| Seeding Rate (seeds/acre) |
12K, 16K, 20K, 24K |
- Four seeding rates, 12,000, 16,000, 20,000, and 24,000 seeds/acre, were evaluated with five Channel® brand corn products, 200-67VT2PRIB, 207-90VT2PRIB, 208-38VT2PRIB, 209-15VT2PRIB, and 211-66VT2PRIB ranging in relative maturities (RM) from 100 to 111 RM.
- Each treatment was replicated four times at two locations, Scott City, KS, and Sublette, KS.
- Weeds were controlled as needed.
- Total shelled weight, test weight, and moisture were collected to calculate yield.
UNDERSTANDING THE RESULTS
- There was a significant interaction between corn product and seeding rate in this study.
- There was no seeding rate or corn product that consistently produced the highest average yields at either location (Figures 1 and 2). However, four of the five Channel® brand corn products at Scott and three of the five Channel brand corn products at Sublette had higher average yields with the 16,000, 20,000, or 24,000 seeds/acre seeding rates compared to the 12,000 seeds/acre seeding rate at both locations.
- For this trial, overall average yields were higher at the Sublette, KS location compared to the Scott City, KS location due to more rainfall at Sublette, KS during critical times of the growing season (Figures 1 and 2).
Figure 1. Average yield of Channel® brand products grown at multiple seeding rates under dryland conditions in Scott City, KS. *LSD (least significant difference) calculated as part of a larger trial containing 17 total products.
Figure 2. Average yield of Channel® brand corn products grown at multiple seeding rates under dryland conditions in Sublette, KS. *LSD (least significant difference) calculated as part of a larger trial containing 17 total products.
KEY LEARNINGS
- Dryland corn production can be challenging in tough, water stressed environments. In this dryland test, corn product yields were highly variable across seeding rates and locations. The testing indicated that using a seeding rate of 12,000 seeds/acre can be considered but higher yields were obtained across most of the corn products when using a seeding rate of 16,000 seeds/acre or more.
- Talk to your local Channel® representative to determine which corn product and seeding rate best fit your production system.
3021_R3_20