What is in this article?:
- Farmers keep sights set on 300-bushel corn
- Six specific components
- Some wonder if it is even possible to produce 300 bushels of corn per acre. Well, the answer is yes. Many farmers are producing over 300 bushels per acre every year in yield contest fields. Seed companies are consistently growing 300-plus yields inside the greenhouse and in test plots, so genetics is not the limiting factor.
The demand for corn continues to increase.
We have seen corn yields increase steadily over the past decades thanks to new technologies that include plant genetics, precision farming, irrigation, tillage, and nutrient management.
Corn yield potential is always a topic of discussion. Average yields continue to increase. You often hear 300-bushel corn is not far down the road.
Some wonder if it is even possible to produce 300 bushels of corn per acre. Well, the answer is yes. Many farmers are producing over 300 bushels per acre every year in yield contest fields. Seed companies are consistently growing 300-plus yields inside the greenhouse and in test plots, so genetics is not the limiting factor.
In order for average corn yields to continue to increase, farmers need to consider ways to reduce yield-limiting factors in their production systems.
To have a chance at 300-bushel corn, soils must provide a stress-free environment for plant growth. This means no compaction, no weed or insect pressure, nutrient availability, and water.
The health of your soil will greatly influence its productivity. What is soil health? Soil health is the capacity of the soil to function. Those functions include water infiltration and nutrient cycling to support plant growth.
