Walking Your Fields ®

Gary Brinkman & Tex Young, Area Agronomists October 2, 2009 – Issue #7

CORN GDU’s BELOW LONG-TERM AVERAGE Corn Yield & Moisture Relative to Physiological Maturity
% of % of Max
Growing Degree Unit accumulation is shown below from Approx.
Max Yield
Stage Days to Moisture
May 1 through September 24, 2009. We fell behind in Maturity
Grain Whole
Content (%)
GDU accumulation in June with one of the coldest on re- Yield Plant
cord. However, the month of September has been benefi- Whole
Grain
Plant
cial with some excellent sunshine and warm days and
Silk 50-60 0 50-55 80-85
nights. Plus, it appears we will reach October 1 without a -
killing frost, but we will still need much of October without Blister 40-50 0-10 55-60 85-95 80-85
a killing frost before many corn and soybean fields reach Late Milk 30-40 30-50 65-75 60-80 75-80
maturity. Early
25 60-75 75-85 50-55 70-75
Growing Degree Unit (GDU) Update (5/1/09 – 9/24/09) Dent
½ milk-
Growing Degree Units – As of: 10-15 90-95 100 35-40 65-70
line
Thursday, September 24, 2009 Phys Mat 0 100 95-100 25-35 55-65

Location 2009 Normal

YIELD NEEDED TO OFFSET DRYING COSTS
Akron 2071 2302
A number of factors determine the profitability of corn
Allegan 2352 2497 production. At harvest we are looking at primarily two
Alma 2156 2288 factors – yield and moisture. There is often a trade off
between these two factors. Longer maturity hybrids of-
Alpena 1863 1989
ten yield higher but are higher moisture at harvest. Har-
Bad Axe 2033 2302 vest moisture is approximately one-half point higher per
Coldwater 2397 2448 day with increase in relative maturity. For example, a
Dundee 2480 2459 102 CRM hybrid will be about 2.0 points higher moisture
at harvest than a 98 CRM hybrid. A good question is,
Eaton Rapids 2266 2448 ‘How much higher yield do you need to offset higher
Fremont 2124 2227 drying costs?’
Hell 2273 2459 It takes about 0.02 gallons of propane to remove one
Ionia 2130 2448 point of moisture per bushel of corn. You can use this
Lake City 1857 2051 formula to calculate the drying cost per acre:
Bu/A x points of moisture to remove x 0.02 x
Lapeer 2183 2459 Cost ($/Gal.) = $ Propane /A
Niles 2395 2497 The table shows the bushels per acre required to offset
Saginaw 2230 2302 energy costs at different yield and moisture levels at a
Sandusky 1989 2302 propane cost of $2.00/gal. and a corn price of $4.00/Bu.
Sparta 2096 2497 Bushels Per Acre Required to Pay Drying Costs
Standish 1983 2302 Points of Moisture Difference
Visit www.pioneer.com/Growingpoint.com for 1 2 3 4
more GDU information Yield (Bu/A) Bu/A to Pay Energy Cost*
100 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0
Corn that gets fully dented but that does not get all the 125 1.25 2.5 3.75 5.0
way to physiological maturity can produce excellent 150 1.5 3.0 4.5 6.0
yields. Corn that is at one-half milk line will produce 90- 175 1.75 3.5 5.25 7.0
95 percent full grain yield (See following table). 200 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
225 2.25 4.5 6.75 9.0
*Assuming Propane Cost = $2.00/Gal. and Corn Price = $4.00/Bu
For example, at a yield level of 150 bu/A it takes three
bu/A to offset the energy costs to dry a hybrid that is two MEASURING CORN HARVEST LOSSES:
points higher moisture at harvest. Of course, energy ¾ 2 kernels per square foot equals 1 lost
cost is not the only factor to consider. There are also bushel per acre.
equipment and handling costs associated with drying. ¾ Two 1/2-pound ears or equivalent per 1/100th
The following table shows the gallons of propane re- acre approximates the loss of 1 bushel per
quired per bushel to dry corn at different moisture con- acre.
tents. Row Length (in feet) Needed to Equal 1/100th Acre
based on row widths and # of rows harvested.
Approximate Gallons of Propane Required to Dry
Corn from Various Moisture Contents Number of Rows Harvested
% Moisture Before Drying Row width Three Four Six Eight Twelve
rows rows rows rows rows
18 20 22 24 26 28 30
20 inches 87.3 65.5 43.6 32.7 21.8
Final %
Gallons of Propane per Bushel 30 inches 58.0 43.6 29.0 21.8 14.5
Moist.
36 inches 48.3 36.2 24.2 18.1 12.1
14 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.2 0.24 0.28 0.32
15 0.06 0.1 0.14 0.18 0.22 0.26 0.3
15.5 0.05 0.09 0.13 0.17 0.21 0.25 0.29 PREPARE YOUR YIELD MONITOR
16 0.04 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.2 0.24 0.28 With harvest just around the corner, don’t forget about
17 0.02 0.06 0.1 0.14 0.18 0.22 0.26 your yield monitor/mapping system. Preparing your yield
18 0 0.04 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.2 0.24 monitor/mapping system is just as important as prepar-
ing your combine for harvest. Preparing now will allow
19 0.02 0.06 0.1 0.14 0.18 0.22
you to gather quality yield information which can be used
20 0 0.04 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.2 to help make next year’s management decisions. The
following is a pre-harvest checklist to help with the proc-
ACTIVELY MANAGE HARVEST ess.
TO LIMIT LOSSES Pre-Harvest Yield Mapping Checklist
‰ Back up old data and clear off your data card(s).
Soybean Yield Loss ‰ Check to see that your monitor has the latest firm-
When Harvested Below 13% Moisture ware version and all connected modules are up-to-
Harvest Moisture Level of Soybeans date. Firmware and manual updates can be found
7% 8% 9% 10% 11% 12% 13% on most major manufacturers websites.
Yield
Yield Bu./Acre Yield Loss Loss ‰ Change/create farm and field names needed for
0.7 this 2009 harvest season.
60 bu./A Enter all the Pioneer® brand hybrids and varieties
Bu./A 4.1 3.4 2.7 2.0 1.3 0.7 0 per
‰
that will be harvested per field.
point
0.6 ‰ Check your cabling for any wear spots.
50 bu./A
Bu./A 3.4 2.8 2.2 1.6 1.1 0.6 0 per ‰ Check your yield monitor components for exces-
point sive wear, and clean any debris/dirt from the mois-
0.5 ture sensor.
40 bu./A
Bu./A 2.7 2.3 1.8 1.2 0.8 0.5 0 per ‰ Make sure your clean elevator chain is tight and
point there are no missing paddles.
0.3 ‰ Set grain type for each field.
30 bu./A
Bu./A 2.1 1.7 1.4 1.0 0.7 0.4 0 per ‰ Review complete calibration instructions.
point
‰ Make sure the yield monitor and GPS receiver are
working properly. (After opening the first field,
MEASURING SOYBEAN HARVEST LOSSES: download the yield data to double check your yield
¾ Four soybeans per square foot equals mapping system.)
one lost bushel per acre. *Always refer to your owner’s manual for detailed instructions

**Contact your local Pioneer sales representative to set

a date to come over to help calibrate your yield monitor
with his weigh wagon or for any other assistance.
 LATE SEASON STANDABILITY
As harvest nears, it is time to start monitoring fields for
stalk rots which leads to stalk lodging. Fields that pre-
maturely die or have been under extreme stress are
prime candidates for stalk rot infections. Some fields are
exhibiting early signs of top die back from anthracnose
by showing a yellow cast at the top of the plant as shown
in the picture below.
Photo courtesy of Pioneer Hi-Bred
Photo courtesy of Pioneer Hi-Bred
Although plant pathogens are virtually always present,
healthy corn plants can resist infection and spread of the
stalk and root rotting organisms for much of the growing
season. Eventually, however, accumulated stresses and
the onset of natural senescence weaken the plant and
allows for invasion and spread of the pathogens.
One of the major stresses on the corn plant is internal –
the competition within the plant for limited carbohydrate
(plant sugars) supplies. During this period of high de-
mand, the ability of the plant to produce new carbohy-
drates through photosynthesis is essential. Any stress
that reduces that ability will result in the translocation of
carbohydrates from root and stalk tissues to the ear.
Leaf loss, particularly below the ear, reduce sugar pro-
duction in the lower stalk, and thus, increase “cannibali-
zation” of the stalk, as the plant tries to fill the ear. This
weakens those tissues, and allows root and stalk rot
pathogens to invade and proliferate.
Scouting. Careful scouting
and harvesting fields accord-
ing to crop conditions can
help prevent field losses due
to stalk and root rot. Corn
loss potential should be
weighed just as heavily as
grain moisture in deciding
which fields to harvest first.
Scouting fields approxi-
mately two to three weeks
prior to the expected harvest
Photo courtesy of
date can identify fields with Pioneer Hi-Bred
weak stalks predisposed to
lodging. Fields with high lodging potential should be
slated for early harvest.
Weak stalks can be detected by pinching the stalk at the
first or second elongated internode above the ground. If
the stalk collapses, this indicates advanced stages of
stalk rot. Another technique is to push the plant side-
ways about 8-12 inches at ear level. If the stalk crimps
near the base or fails to return to the vertical position,
stalk rot is indicated. Check 20 plants in several areas of
the field. If more than 10-15 percent of the stalks are
rotted, that field should be scheduled for early harvest.
“Hybrid Side-by-Side” COMPARISONS
As we look ahead to
harvest, hybrid com-
parisons will again play a
large role in purchasing
decisions for 2010.
When looking at your
2009 yield data this fall,
keep in mind that
multiple location
performance data - and Photo courtesy of Pioneer Hi-Bred
from a period of years if
available - is the most accurate predictor of the set of
hybrids that will provide the best performance in the
varying environments at a growing location.
Compare hybrids/varieties in the same field while
minimizing variables: As you plan your on-farm com-
parisons, there are several factors listed below to con-
sider ensuring you collect the best data possible.
o Planting date
o Fertility
o Technology segments (CRW Vs CRW,
Cyst vs. Cyst, etc)
o Seed treatments
o Weed and pest control
o Tillage
o Previous crop (last 2-3 years)
o Maturity range (+/- 5 RM)
o Combine and weighing device
Select a uniform location to minimize soil variation
o Identify location by soil type map
o Limit or block test width & length to uni-
form soil types (walk plots prior to har-
vest)
o Test strips should be at least four rows
wide and at least 500 feet long
o No test/location should have more than 8
strips to reduce site variability
Please be safe during the upcoming busy
harvest season. With all the long hours and heavy
traffic out on country roads, it’s a very busy and danger-
ous environment.
o Take plenty of breaks during the day
o NEVER service or unplug a running harvester.
o Be very careful working around storage grain
bins.
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WALKING YOUR FIELDS®

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Karen Zuver Gary Brinkman Tex Young

Account Manager Area Agronomist Area Agronomist
Woodland, MI Lansing, MI DeWitt, MI
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Cell: (616) 437-7738 Cell: (517) 930-9756 Cell: (517) 927-0691
WALKING YOUR FIELDS® newsletter is written by agronomists for Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., A DuPont Business. It is mailed to customers several times throughout the growing
season, courtesy of your Pioneer sales professional. PIONEER® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase, which are part of the labeling and purchase
documents. Pioneer is a brand name; numbers identify varieties and products. ®, SM TM Trademarks and service marks, registered or applied for, of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., Des
Moines, Iowa, U.S.A. © 2009 PHII. www.pioneer.com