Transcript 300 Bushel Corn Yield Formula Fred Below

Fred E. Below, Adam Henninger, and
Matias Ruffo
Crop Physiology Laboratory, University
of Illinois, and Mosaic Fertilizer
Quest for 300 Bushel Corn
Herman
Warsaw’s farm
Saybrook, IL
July 1985
Seven Wonders of the Corn
Yield World
•Ranks those factors that each
year can have a positive (and
sometimes negative) impact
on corn yield
•Gives each factor an average
bushel per acre value
Crucial Prerequisites, but Not
Yield Wonders
•Drainage
•Pest/Weed Control
•Proper soil pH & adequate
levels of P and K based on
soil tests
Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World
Rank
Factor
Value
bu/acre
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Weather
Nitrogen
Hybrid
Previous Crop
Plant Population
Tillage
Growth Regulators
Total
Given key prerequisites
70+
70
50
25
20
15
10
260 bu
Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World
Rank
Factor
Value
bu/acre
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Weather
Nitrogen
Hybrid
Previous Crop
70+
70
50
25
Plant Population
20
15
Tillage
Growth Regulators 10
Total = 260bu
Given key prerequisites
%
27
26
19
10
8
6
4
100%
How to Get 300 Bushels?
• Provide better prerequisites,
especially mineral nutrients
• Try to optimize each of the
seven wonders and their
positive interactions
Prerequisites for 300 Bushels?
• Proper soil pH & adequate
levels of P and K based on
soil tests
• Fertility- Required amounts
of nutrients each year,
Sulfur & Micronutrients?
Where are the Positive Interactions?
Rank
Factor
Value
bu/acre
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Weather
Nitrogen
Hybrid
Previous Crop
70+
70
50
25
Plant Population
20
15
Tillage
Growth Regulators 10
Total = 260bu
%
27
26
19
10
8
6
4
100%
Better N use from Biotechnology Traits?
Grain yield (bu/acre)
220
Hybrid Pair 1
Hybrid Pair 2
200
180
160
140
Refuge
VT3
120
0
50
100
150
200
250 0
50
100
Fertilizer N rate (lb/acre)
Champaign, IL 2008
150
200
250
Better N use from Biotechnology Traits
Hybrid
RW-Bt
Non-RW
RW-Bt
Non-RW
NUE
Uptake
Utilization
kg/kg N
%
kg/kg N
25.9*
71*
36.4
17.0
52
33.1
31.7*
71*
44.6
22.4
56
40.1
*different from non-RW counterpart P< 0.05
Greater Nutrient Removal with Grain as a
Result of Biotechnology Traits
Nutrient
Non RW
resistant
Root worm
Difference
resistant
bushels or lbs/acre removed
Yield
N
P
K
S
Zn (oz)
179
110
17
26
8.9
2.2
Champaign, IL 2008, average of two hybrid pairs
205
126
21
31
10.4
2.8
%
15
14
24
19
17
27
How to Get 300 Bushels?
• Better prerequisites along
with packages of optimized
yield wonders.
• Is the value of combined
factors greater than their
individual impact?
Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World
Rank
Factor
Value
bu/acre
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Weather
Nitrogen
Hybrid
Previous Crop
Plant Population
Tillage
Growth Regulators
Improved Fertility Prerequisites Total
70+
70
50
25
20
15
10
260 bu
Factors for Standard Practice
Fertility
No P or K based on soil test
Nitrogen
180 lbs pre-plant as UAN
Genetics
RR Hybrid (DKC 61-22)
with soil insecticide at planting
Population
32,000 plants/ac final stand
in 30 inch rows
Fungicide
No Fungicide
Factors in High Tech Package
Fertility
100 lbs P2O5 as MESZ
supplies P, S, and Zn
Nitrogen
100 lb extra N as SuperUrea
as sidedress to assure available N
Genetics
Triple stack (DKC 61-19)
with soil insecticide at planting
Population
45,000 plants/ac final stand
in 30 inch rows
Fungicide
Strobilurin at flowering
Headline or Quilt-Xcel
Best High Yield Factors- Omission Plot
FACTOR
TREATMENT
Fertility
Nitrogen
Genetics
Population
Fungicide
MESZ
Base + Slow
release
Triple stack
45,000
Strobilurin
Fertility
No P & K
Base + Slow
release
Triple stack
45,000
Strobilurin
Nitrogen
MESZ
Base
Triple stack
45,000
Strobilurin
Genetics
MESZ
Base + Slow
release
Refuge
45,000
Strobilurin
Population
MESZ
Base + Slow
release
Triple stack
32,000
Strobilurin
Fungicide
MESZ
Base + Slow
release
Triple stack
45,000
none
No P & K
Base
Refuge
32,000
none
Fertility
MESZ
Base
Refuge
32,000
none
Nitrogen
No P & K
Base + Slow
release
Refuge
32,000
none
Genetics
No P & K
Base
Triple stack
32,000
none
Population
No P & K
Base
Refuge
45,000
none
Fungicide
No P & K
Base
Refuge
32,000
Strobilurin
Decrease Technology
HIGH TECH
Add Technology
TRADITIONAL
Omission Plots 2009
DeKalb
DeKalb
• Planted May 31
• Hard Frost October 10
Champaign
• Planted May 26
Champaign
Dixon Springs
• Planted June 8
All Sites
•
•
•
•
180 lbs base N as UAN
DKC 61-19 or 61-22
Soybean as previous crop
Conventional tillage
Dixon
Springs
High Tech Package vs Traditional Champaign-2009
High Tech Package
Pictures taken at R5 on 9/17/09 by Adam Henninger
Traditional
High Tech Package versus Traditional
Champaign - 2009
High Technology Package
For 1/1000 of an acre
Traditional Practice
Yield Enhancement with High Tech Package
Location
Traditional High Tech
Practice
Package
D
bu acre-1
DeKalb
199
213
14*
Champaign
208
274
66*
Dixon Springs
188
245
57*
* Significance difference (p<0.10)
Data from 2009
Omit From High Tech - Champaign
Omit Factor
High Tech
Package
D
bu acre-1
All Factors
274
Fertility
256
-18
Nitrogen
250
-24
Genetics
247
-27
Population
260
-14
Fungicide
262
-12
LSD (p<0.10) = 12
Traditional vs High Tech - Champaign
Traditional
+/- Factor
Yield
High Tech
D
Yield
D
274
256
250
247
260
262
-18
-24
-27
-14
-12
bu acre-1
None or All
Fertility
Nitrogen
Genetics
Population
Fungicide
LSD (p<0.10) = 12
208
215
224
216
193
204
+7
+16
+8
-15
-4
Omit From High Tech – Dixon Springs
Omit Factor
High Tech
Package
D
bu acre-1
All Factors
245
Fertility
239
-6
Nitrogen
230
-15
Genetics
223
-22
Population
241
-4
Fungicide
221
-24
LSD (p<0.10) = 13
Traditional vs High Tech – Dixon Springs
Traditional
+/- Factor
Yield
High Tech
D
Yield
D
245
239
230
223
241
221
-6
-15
-22
-4
-24
bu acre-1
None or All
Fertility
Nitrogen
Genetics
Population
Fungicide
LSD (p<0.10) = 13
188
188
187
199
177
192
0
-1
+11
-11
+4
Omit From High Tech - DeKalb
Omit Factor
High Tech
Package
D
bu acre-1
All Factors
213
Fertility
216
+3
Nitrogen
217
+4
Genetics
210
-3
Population
201
-12
Fungicide
216
+3
LSD (p<0.10) = 11
Traditional vs High Tech– DeKalb
Traditional
+/- Factor
Yield
High Tech
D
Yield
D
213
216
217
210
201
216
+3
+4
-3
-12
+3
bu acre-1
None or All
Fertility
Nitrogen
Genetics
Population
Fungicide
LSD (p<0.10) = 11
199
199
200
201
202
197
0
+1
+2
+4
-2
Omission Plot – Average Three Sites
Traditional
Factor
Yield
High Tech
D
Yield
D
244
237
233
227
234
234
-7
-11
-17
-10
-10
bu acre-1
None or All
Fertility
Nitrogen
Genetics
Population
Fungicide
LSD (p<0.10) = 7
198
200
204
205
191
198
+2
+6
+7
-7
0
Data from DeKalb, Champaign and Dixon Springs 2009
Increasing Plant Population with
Twin Rows
Champaign, IL 2009
Twin-Row Demonstration-2009
Fertility
At Planting (mg/planted plant)
N
P2O5
K2O
S
Zn
Population
225
595
212
50
5
35, 45, 55 x 1000 plants/ac
all in 7.5” centered twin rows
Fungicide
Strobilurin at flowering
with and without Headline
DKC 64-24, 180 lbs N/acre pre-plant as UAN, mulch tillage, planted May 22
AGCO-White Research Twin Row Planter
Champaign, IL 2009
Soil Conditions at Planting
Champaign, IL 2009
Seedling Emergence
Champaign, IL 2009
Plant Spacing with Twin Rows
35,000 plants/acre
Champaign, IL 2009
55,000 plants/acre
Vegetative Growth
Champaign, IL 2009
Late Vegetative Growth
Plant Population and Fungicide
Application in Twin Rows
Plant Population
Planted
Final
Fungicide
Without
plants/acre x 1000
With
Bu/acre
35
29
229
247*
45
37
236
253*
55
45
265
278*
* Significance difference between fungicide treatment (p<0.10)
Champaign, IL 2009
Quest for 300 Bushel Corn
University of
Illinois
Research Farm
Champaign, IL
November 2009
Conclusions
• Big yield gains are possible
from crop management that
provides better Fertility along
with packages of optimized
Yield Wonders
• The yield value of an individual
factor is small compared to the
combined value of all factors
Acknowledgements
Personnel
•Brad Bandy
•Ryan Becker
•Fernando Cantao
•Jason Haegele
•Mark Harrison
•Jim Kleiss
•Bianca Moria
•Juliann Seebauer
•Martín Uribelarrea
•Mike Vincent
•Wendy White
•Matt Wiebers
Financial Support
•Mosaic
•BASF
•GrowMark
•Syngenta
•Agrotain
•AGCO
•Fert Res Ed Council