C.o.r.n. to go....
A Supplement to the OSU Extension Agronomic Crops Team Online C.O.R.N. Newsletter
C.o.r.n history
The team not a specialty of a single department, we http://agcrops.osu.edu. 8AM the next day we want to have that
The Ohio State University Extension
have many departments represented on
The delivery – C.O.R.N.
CORN newsletter delivered. At the same
Agronomic Crops Team was formed in
the team. The College of Food, Agricul- time it is posted to our website:
The C.O.R.N. (Crop Observation &
1995 in response to the loss of state agro-
ture and Environmental Sciences contains http://corn.osu.edu.
Recommendation Network) newsletter is
nomic specialists. County Agents who
most of those departments – Horticulture County educators conduct the confer-
our most direct and quickest means we
had agronomic training and expertise
and Crop Science, the School of Environ- ence call for the newsletter, do the edito-
have to deliver agronomic crop informa-
stepped up to help fill the void. The
ment and Natural Resources, Plant rial work, post to the web and email to
tion. Forty or more times a year we de-
Team’s goal is to provide accurate and
Pathology, Food Agriculture and Biologi- our subscriber list. Editors rotate on a
liver a newsletter by email to you.
timely information addressing the needs
cal Engineering, Agricultural, Environ- monthly basis throughout the year. We
Every Monday morning during the
of Ohio’s agronomic crop industry –
mental and Developmental Economics, as are all active in fieldwork, assisting grow-
growing season and every other week in
growers of corn, soybeans, wheat and
well as Ohio State University Extension ers with scouting and in conducting our
the off season about 15 to 20 members of
forages. This work includes providing
and in the College of Biological Sciences – own research so by rotating the editorial
the team participate in a conference call.
educational opportunities as well as con-
Entomology. County level educators have duties no one person is too terribly bur-
From that 8 a.m. conference call we deter-
ducting research projects. There is cur-
expertise in a number of areas with de- dened. Also by rotating editors more
mine the priorities of the past few days
rently a nearly even mix of state
grees from the above departments both county educators are exposed to and
and what may be expected over the next
specialists and county level educators on
from here at Ohio State and from other work with the state specialists – develop-
several and develop a list of articles that
the team, numbering about 50 members.
universities across the corn belt. While ing relationships that lead to research
we as a group feel will address crop pro-
Although there is a concentration of
state specialists sometimes take the lead projects that may be conducted at the
ducers needs. County educators and pro-
Agronomic Crops Team members in the
on team projects, it is often at the urging county level with local growers.
gram assistants comment on local pests,
western half of Ohio, we do have mem-
of county educators or as a partner with With our one-hour Monday morning
give scouting reports, discuss crop
bers in north central, northeast and east
county level professionals. The team re- conference call and Tuesday AM delivery
growth and even the weather. Typically
central parts of the state as well and of
ally works well together for agronomic we have the fastest agronomic newsletter
course the state specialists on campus in
crops producers in Ohio. We have a team
state specialists comment on research
across the corn belt. The impact – infor-
Columbus and at OARDC in Wooster.
website loaded with almost all the infor-
they or their cohorts have done to ad-
mation that helps, now!
Because agronomic crop production is
mation an Ohio crop producer needs:
dress the questions of the day and then
create articles to meet those needs. Before
Wheat top dress Final thoughts for spring
A year ago we made plans to plant the know this interval can bring consistently
highest dollar grossing crop we ever saw. good yields.
And then reality set in on commodity Row width and population — We
markets. This year we may be lucky if we know that corn grows best in row widths
harvest an average crop to break even. So of 30 inches or less. But we haven’t been
what can we do to push yields a little able to push row widths much more nar-
higher and achieve a little profit? row than 30s, because we can make
For corn, high yield is a matter of enough growth before flowering to maxi-
doing things consistently right. With the mize yield in 30 inch rows in Ohio. Popu-
demand from livestock, industry and for lations in corn in Ohio are often short
ethanol – we have to grow more bushels however. With the expectation of high
per acre to satisfy all our needs and to yield, we need to have final plant stands
We see some applicator tracks already in that your nitrogen source.
make a profit. above 30,000 plants per acre. I still know
wheat fields. We all know it’s a little too We have had calls on what rate of ni-
Factors in high yield production: too many growers who drop only 30,000
early to be applying nitrogen (N) fertilizer trogen to apply to this year’s wheat crop,
The environment — where you live seeds per acre.
but also understand that time management with the high N cost and lower wheat
and farm is very important for high Lastly, just because you add more in-
is sometimes the most difficult part of price. While we do have a new nitrogen
yields. Ohio’s cloudy sky, the soil type, puts, doesn’t mean you’ll get
farming across thousands of acres. From re- calculator for corn from Robert Mullen,
drainage, natural fertility all are factors higher yields. Apply the inputs that
search conducted by both Jim Beuerlien we have not assembled enough new N
and you can modify them to some ex- make you money, and keep in mind
and Ed Lentz, we know that you have a rate trials to do that for wheat. Quite hon-
tent but generally it is what it is that higher yield doesn’t always equate
good month yet before it becomes critical to estly, the nitrogen rate recommendations
in Ohio. to higher profit.
apply that top dress N. as suggested in the Tri-State Fertility
Hybrid selection — there are a bunch
Assuming that you applied 20 to 30 Guide shown here are fairly conservative
of hybrids offered in Ohio. Check the
pounds of nitrogen as recommended last and should be appropriate for our cur-
performance trial results from several
fall, then you have until May 1 to get the rent situation.
sources — I like to look at all the com-
rest of your N on your wheat crop. We Total Nitrogen Recommendations for
petitors lists to see what they use for a
also know that most years it doesn’t re- Wheat Based on Yield Potential.
high yield competitor to test against.
ally matter what form of N fertilizer you Pounds N
But we should be able to choose hy-
use as long as you get on an adequate Yield potential to apply
brids that are consistently in the highest
amount. And we also know that you bu/acre lb N/acre
yielding 25% — that helps.
don’t necessarily need sulfur in your 50 40
Date of planting — We know that if
wheat N application – although it is a 70 75
you can plant in Ohio between April 20
common practice. On the other hand if 90+ 110
and May 10, you are likely to reach your
ammonium sulfate is your cheapest Apply 15 to 30 lb N/acre at planting
higher yields. Sometimes before or after
source of N, then it won’t hurt to make and the remainder in the spring.
that period works too, but again we
Ohio’s Country Journal • April 2009 •Crops 17
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