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Increasing interest in low heat unit corn


by DAVID SCHMIDT


MATSQUI – When assessing how good a corn variety is, measure the tonnes of dry matter it produces. That is the key number, Alexis Arthur told growers attending the corn trials field day at Rose Gate Farms in Matsqui, September 14.


She said well-timed rain has resulted in a better corn crop than last year.


“I expect higher tonnage and feed value this year,” Arthur says.


One dairyman who grew hundreds of acres of corn confirmed that. While cobs are smaller, the overall crop is much better.


“Last year, our yields were about seven tonnes per acre below normal. This year, we are getting about three tonnes per acre more than normal. That’s a 10 tonne per acre turnaround in one year,” he said.


The trials field day was one of four Pacific Ag Bag hosted, with others held on Sumas


Prairie, Vancouver Island and Enderby. The Matsqui plot included over a dozen commercial varieties from Pride Seeds and Thunder Seeds and at least that many experimental varieties.


Short supply


Arthur admits not all growers got the seed they wanted this year as some of the Pride varieties were in short supply but says she is working with Pride to ensure that does not happen again next year.


Although many of the experimental varieties looked good, as all forage corn did this year, Arthur said they would likely result in only one or two new varieties being released. While most commercial varieties have been genetically modified to make them Round-Up Ready and many are also resistant to corn borer and armyworms, experimental varieties do not have those added genes. Arthur notes there is no point adding those traits until a


Country Life in BC • October 2016


Alexis Arthur of Pacific Ag Bag describes corn varieties from Thunder Seed and Pride Seed during the corn field day at Rose Gate Farms in Abbotsford, September 14. (David Schmidt photo)


company is confident the variety is worth releasing.


Don’t spend the extra $


Although just about all but organic growers use RoundUp Ready forage corn seed, Arthur advised growers not to spend the extra money for multi-trait seeds since corn


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borer, armyworms and similar pests are not issues in BC. Since weather is becoming more and more unpredictable, Arthur says breeders are putting more effort into getting more out of low heat unit corn. She says Thunder has been quite successful in developing good low heat unit corn, pointing to TH4126RR as an example. It requires only 2250 heat units yet looked almost as tall with cobs similar to varieties requiring many more heat units.


TH4578RR, rated at just 2200 heat units, is another popular variety in BC. Arthur


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notes it offers good spring vigour and its cobs fill out to the end. As a result, many Manitoba growers are even using it as a grain corn. This was not a year growers needed a low heat unit corn but many recent years have been.


To ensure they always get a crop, Arthur advises growers to hedge their bets by planting a mix of both low and higher heat unit varieties. She also encourages them to trial different varieties in their own fields before making large purchases. What may look good in a trial may not work as well in a grower’s specific situation.


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