Ohio Ag Net | Ohio's Country Journal Ohio Ag Net | Ohio's Country Journal 
By Luke Schulte, Beck’s Ohio Field Agronomist
What did we learn in a year of weather extremes: heat, flash droughts, extended drought, localized flooding, hurricane-force winds? In years like this, the weather often takes the blame for both expected results and those surprises. However, it’s growing seasons like 2024 that I usually find to be the most revealing.
- Population is a stress
Human nature and our industry have trained us to believe the key to higher corn yields is all about ear count. If we produce more ears, albeit smaller, our yield will still be higher than if we had fewer, more impressive-looking ears.
While for some hybrids, increasing plant population will result in higher yields, many hybrids today have substantial ear flex. However, ear flex today differs from what we spoke of in the early 2000s. Genetic ear flex today is more about kernel depth flex or increased girth if given space.
With that said, one constant thing amongst every hybrid is that higher planting populations induce increased plant stress. While evidence of population-driven stress is present every year, the dry weather this past season has exasperated the effect. The continual competition for sunlight that higher populations accentuate should not be ignored.
Not only does increasing planting populations guarantee incremental stress, but many hybrids today perform better utilizing more moderate plant populations.
2. Sulfur is not just a nutrient
The need to supplement sulfur (S) in our fertility programs as our air quality has changed over the years has been well documented. However, S has several additional benefits beyond being a nutrient that drives photosynthesis. It is an antioxidant to plants, allowing for enhanced stress tolerance and quicker stress recovery.
Additional Benefits of S:
- Enhanced drought tolerance
- Decreased premature plant death due to anaerobic/wet conditions in the early season
- Decreased leaf disease
- Decreased incidence of vomitoxin (at higher use rates)
- Decreased nitrogen (N) volatility
3. Nitrogen: Early accessibility and depth matter
While much research has been conducted to explore the benefits of late N applications, arguably, one of the most critical periods for N accessibility is very early at the V3-V4 growth stage. Early N uptake drives several critical processes like photosynthesis, plant vigor, and pollination. Nitrogen is also a vegetative nutrient that drives silking. It appears N is required much earlier than previously thought for some hybrids to fully achieve complete pollination. For those without the planter capability of applying N 2x2x2 or 2×2, UAN or urea applied pre-emerge are potential options to ensure sufficient N is within reach of the small, developing root system by V3-V4.
While the extended dry conditions throughout 2024 magnified the importance of getting N in the ground, sidedressing at a 5 to 6 inch depth has provided a yield benefit every year in Beck’s Practical Farm Research (PFR)® testing at our Ohio site. Achieving that depth may require slowing down, increasing your down-pressure, or perhaps a closing system to get more cover over the trench.
If you want to hear more about what Beck’s PFR studies revealed in 2024, please join us at one of our PFR Insight meetings this January — details coming soon!
