Biotech Updates

Research Reveals New Insight on Responses of Corn Hybrids to Seeding Rates

August 19, 2011

Cornell University scientists William Cox and Jerome Cherney investigated the response of eight hybrids (three Bt and a non-Bt hybrid, two brown midrib and two silage specific Bt hybrids) to four seeding rates (25,000, 30,000, 35,000, and 40,000 kernels/acre). The study was conducted on a silt loam soil in New York from 2008 to 2009. They measured the leaf area, biomass accumulation, silage yield, and silage quality, as bases for determination if various hybrid types need different seeding rates for maximum yield and quality.

Results showed that all hybrids exhibited similar responses to seeding rates in terms of growth, yield, and quality. Each hybrid had their highest crop growth rates at the 40,000 kernel/acre seeding rate during vegetative development. On the other hand, growth rates were found to be similar in each seeding rate during the silking stage. This implies that the seeding rates should not be increased for Bt hybrids or decreased for midrib hybrids.

Read the research article at https://www.agronomy.org/publications/aj/articles/103/4/1051.