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A reduction in growth rate of 1 gram a day in a mere 20% of all corn plants, results in yield losses of 2,300 kilograms per hectare – equivalent to 37 bushels per acre.


plants go through the same stress responses. “If your child is not growing at a standard growth rate, how serious is it? It’s the same principal.” He provides an example: if 100% of corn plants are grow at an average rate of 4.5 grams per day, the yield would be 12,300 kilograms per hectare. If only 20% of that overall amount grows at 3.5 grams per day, the entire weight drops to 10,000 kilograms per hectare. That means a reduction in growth rate of 1 gram, among a mere 20% of all corn plants, results in yield losses of 2300 kilograms per hectare – equivalent to 37 bushels per acre. “This would help explain why the yield monitor in your combine bounces all over the place – even with top performing corn hybrids,” Mr Swanton says. “It’s illustrating how yield really hinges on such a delicate balance.”


More competitive crops These growth responses to stress, says Mr Swanton, are not limited to corn and soybeans. Indeed, it’s a principal applying to all natural and cultivated environments.


With these crop-specific findings being seen in the lab as well as the field, he adds he hopes these finding will eventually help in the development of more competitive crops. In the meantime, farmers should still be


Impacts for planting green, corn spacing


The key to triggering these yield-depressing mechanisms really is the presence of green matter. For this reason, Mr Swanton says corn residue – while it would be considered a weed by soybeans – does not appear to af- fect growth in the same way. Green cover crops, however, definitely would, and he reit- erates the importance of appropriately timed burn-down regiments for those planting green. Corn itself can also have adverse reactions to other corn plants if spacing between each plant is not adequate. What exactly the prox- imity threshold is, though, is not yet known.


knocking weeds down as early as possible. “This is proof of why we stress weed control. It’s very important in terms of weed manage- ment. Get to it on your first opportunity,” he concludes.


Corn can register light from the far-red end of the spectrum reflected by weeds.


“A soybean knows whether a soybean is growing next to it, or if it’s a weed. Corn doesn’t seem to be able to do that,” he says.


▶ FUTURE FARMING | 22 February 2019 25


PHOTO: WOUT VAN ASSENDELFT


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