Corn growers must seek highest return
GREENSBORO, Nf? -* If com the highest possible return on
growers are going to survive the investment from their operations,
economic problems of the mid Growing com for high yields just
1980 s and beyond, they must obtain isn't good enough anymore.
A video symposium on growing corn profitably in the 1980 s
was held recently in Chicago, sponsored by Ciba-Geigy. The
video will be made available to growers throughout the Corn
Belt. Panel participants included, from left: Orion Samuelson,
moderator; Dr. Michael Owen, Department of Plant
Pathology, lowa State University; Dr. Gary Beland, en
tomologist, Funk Seeds International; Dr. Garren Benson,
agronomist, lowa State University: Marty Thornton, head of
the farm department of the Peoples Bank, Bloomington, III.;
Dr. Marshal McGlamery, agronomist, University of Illinois;
Dr. Michael Barrett, Department of Agronomy, University of
Kentucky; and Dr. Ronald Doersch, Department of
Agronomy, University of Wisconsin.
That message came through
loud and clear during a recent
Video Symposium on Productivity
in Corn, sponsored by the Ciba-
Geigy Corporation. The sym
posium brought together
university, agribusiness and
financial experts from around the
Corn Belt to discuss ways to
manage inputs, thereby increasing
profit and com yields. _
The videotaped roundtable
discussion, available for com
growers, addressed fertility
management, seed selection,
planting dates, herbicide safety,
and the correlation between good
weed control and optimum yields.
Set Realistic Goals
Ron Doersch, agronomist at the
University of Wisconsin, says
growers must set realistic goals
when planning for profitable
yields. “Growers need to realize
they aren’t allin a yield contest. In
the past growers always were
shooting for that top yield. That’s
not necessarily a profitable yield.”
Doersch added that a five to 10-
year average may be a more
realistic yield goal when shooting
for the best economic return from
a crop. “Know the level you want
to shoot for and set some real
goals. That’s the key.”
Planting Dates Crucial
Two experts from lowa State
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 4,1986-AI7
University, Dr. Garren Benson and
Dr. Michael Owen, noted the
importance of planting dates in
growing com for profit. “The size
and reduction in yield varies
greatly from year to year, but
reduction is definitely there once
you get past the 10th or 15th of
May,” Benson said. “After the 20th
of May average yield reduction
accelerates and can become quite
serious.”
Owen agreed, explaining that
once the optimum date for com
planting has passed, "yield
diminishes rather quickly.” He
stated that late planting, combined
with poor weed control and fertility
management, can have a “very
adverse effect on yield.”
Benson added that it is more im
portant when growers “finish
planting than when they start
planting.”
Strip Test Reliability
The scientists also expressed
concern for the reliability of strip
tests in determining the ef
fectiveness of a herbicide, fertility
or hybrid. Benson said, “When you
start talking yields, you either
have got to have a lot of locations
handled the same way or you’ve
got to have a lot of replication per
location. When you get ito the yield
business, you’re really into the
research business and most
producers are not set up to do
this.”
While some companies tout yield
differences based on strip tests in
growers’ fields, Benson said
beware. “In order to check yields
you have to have sophisticated
side-by-side comparisons. It’s
pretty risky otherwise.”
Marty Thornton, Illinois farm
manager and head of the Farm
Department of the Peoples Bank of
Bloomington, 111., urges caution
when companies make yield in
crease claims based on strip tests.
“When you analyze data you have
to be sure the strip tests are valid;
the proper replications of the
experiment have been taken,
handled scientifically and
analyzed carefully. When you
generalize to one or two or three
sites that were done without using
a scientific approach, you have a
real problem of misusing the data
that is obtained and drawing in
correct conclusions. ’ ’
Turn to Page A 24)
Lancaster Tobacco
Pennsylvania Tobacco
Intercourse, PA
Thursday, Dec. 12
Total Volume 320,000 lbs.;
Average Overall $1.09/lb.; Top 3
Grades $l.lO-$1.13/lb.; Out Grade
$.40-$.65/lb.
Wednesday, Dec. 18
Total Volume 305,000 lbs.;
Average Overall $1.15/lb.; Top 3
Grades $1.17-11.19; Out Grade $.35-
$.95.
Friday, Dec. 20
Total Volume 235,000 lbs.;
Average Overall $1.13/lb.; Top 3
Grades $1.17-$1.19, a few skids
$1.50; Out Grade $.35-$l.lO.
Monday, Dec. 30
Total Volume 146,000 lbs.;
Average Overall $1.21/lb.; Top 3
Grades $1.22-$1.25/lb.; Out Grade
$.50-$1.22.
Looking back
[Continued from Page Al)
Meanwhile, also in Lancaster
County, the state’s only tobacco
auction got underway, bringing
better prices to growers.
PFA’s marketing co-operative,
PACMA, made news in 1985 by
trying to form co-ops to buy the
Clover Packing plant in Selin
sgrove and Shamokin Packing in
Shamokin. Look for more on these
developments in 1986.
The state DHIA named Richard
Barth its new general manager,
Naomi Bupp was elected president
of the Pennsylvania Farm
Women’s Association and Beth
Heald was crowned the state’s
Dairy Princess.
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