Want to increase your corn population this year? (part 2)
Did you miss Part 1? Read it here. When pushing populations, make sure you know your hybrids and their characteristics. Most of the current hybrids on the market today have good stalk and root strength. However, there are some hybrids that have super high yield potential but do need to be managed or watched to maximize those yields. These types of hybrids will work in a high population situation, but may need to be harvested in a timely manner. We learned lessons like this last year with the weekly high winds we received.
Stand placement is another important factor to consider when planting higher populations. Increasing populations will decrease the plant to plant spacing in the row. This is more of a concern in 30” rows where the spacing is tighter. An ideal spacing for 32,000 plants is 6.56”, while planting 36,000 reduces that spacing to 5.83”, giving a tighter margin for error. Spacing for 22” rows will be about 2” more in the row.
Corn does not like to compete for resources with its neighbors, so the more even the stand, the better production you will receive from each plant. If the spacing is too tight, both plants will be reduced, leading to poor yields and under-utilizing that higher population.
Raising your population is more than just adding additional kernels to the soil. Make sure you make a plan and adjust your resources to meet the needs of the additional plants.
