1. John McGillicuddy john@mcagronomics.com 319-330-8446

2. “Helping you to be your own best Agronomist”

3. Today's Dilemma Fertilizer Technology Narrow Rows Land/Rent Traits
Tillage
Your Time
Your Money
Employees
Machinery
Herbicides
Fungicides
Tile/
Drainage
Micronutrients
Additives
Storage
Transportation
Lime

4. Actually, what do you do on which farm?
Almost anything will work somewhere
Absolutely nothing works everywhere
It has to solve the problem that took your last 20 bu.
or it won't change the outcome
good information management may be the key

5. Today Corn Management lessons 2017 Soybeans Population
Resource Management
Field Drying losses
Extreme N efficiency
Soybeans
Resource allocation
Dicamba anyone?

6. 400
380
360
340
320
300
280
260
240
220
200
180
Finding your "last 20"

7. Most everything can be reduced to an equation
2 + 2 = 4

8. PHD/MD + CS =
Where PHD/MD is my brilliant but mechanically challenged neighbor and CS is Chain saw

9. PHD/MD + CS = PI + PD
Where PHD/MD is my brilliant but mechanically challenged neighbor and CS is Chain saw
PI and PD are Personal Injury and Property Damage
If the result is unacceptable, modify the equation

10. PHD/MD+CS+ES=WD + ND
Where PHD/MD is my brilliant but mechanically challenged neighbor, CS is Chain saw, and ES is eldest son
And WD is Work Done, ND is Nobody's Dead

11. Generate an equation for corn yield

12. Generate an equation for corn yield
K# * Kwt = Y

13. Diagnosing Corn Yield Where does yield come from Kernel count, K#
Kernel size/weight, KWT
Factors of K#
Plant Count, Planting to V-4
Ear Count, Germination to V-3
Which Ear? V-3 to V-5
Girth, V-6 to V-9
Length of kernel set, V-10 to V-13
Length of pollination, V-14 to R-1
Length of fill, R-1 to late R-4, *
Kernel weight, R 5, 6
You have to look before you harvest
This is the breakdown of when the components of yield are determined in a corn plant.
When you see a reduction in any one of these components it will lead you to the period in the plants life, identified by the V or R stage, that the yield reducing event occurred.

14. Corn Population Modern Hybrids can raise 9-10 bu/1000 seeds?
Rethinking
Modern Hybrids can raise 9-10 bu/1000 seeds?
Dowdy, Hula
Shifting focus from ear count to size?
Interaction of row fertilizer and population
Kernel weight, early death, “Phantom Yield Loss”
Resource allocation
Most efficient bu/1000

15. Kernel Weight Late R-4, Kernel number fixed
Final Stages of Growth
Late R-4, Kernel number fixed
R-5 Dent (>50 % of kernels dented)
+-60% of final kernel weight on board
R-6 Black Layer or Maturity
18-22 days after R-5
Last 40% of Yield in last days

16. The population/nutrition/ space triangle
Corn Edition
Population
Space
Nutrition

17. Yield by Seeding Rate 2 Hybrids, Medium Soil, Central IL 2017
304.00
303.11
294.03
297.28
292.78
291.28
286.20
282.29
Scharfenberg Farms, Maquon, IL

18. Yield per 1000 Seeds 2 Hybrids, Medium Soil, Central IL 2017
10.86
10.61
9.15
8.82
8.42
7.95
7.43
7.28
Scharfenberg Farms, Maquon, IL

19. Kernel Weights Now a more critical part of your final yield
Rethinking
Now a more critical part of your final yield
Higher this year than ever
56000 K in a bushel
Losses from field drying, phantom yield loss

20. Field Drying Loss Test 12 Hybrids, 16 row plots
Bloomington, IL
12 Hybrids, 16 row plots
8 rows harvested 9-28 at 21.7% average moisture
8 rows harvested at 16.05% average moisture
All hybrids averaged 1.85 bu/point drying in the field
Highest loss was bu
Lowest loss was 0.6 Bu
Top three losing hybrids dropped 21.6 bu in 4.6 % moisture (4.69 Bu./Pt)
Bottom three losing hybrids dropped 0.78 bu in 5.6% moisture. (0.14 Bu./Pt)

21. Field Drying Loss Test Bloomington, IL Average of the 3 hybrids with
the largest yield shrink
Average of the 3 hybrids with
the smallest yield shrink

22. Field Drying Loss Test Currently analyzing kernel weights
Bloomington, IL
Currently analyzing kernel weights
Hand harvested ears at high moisture and again at low moisture
Counting out 1000 kernels
Measuring kernels per bushel

23. K Mobility/Population/Ear Flex
Something to look at
High population with limited K availability reduces yield?
Plant moderate populations with flex on soils with K issues
Low K tests
High Mg to K ratios
High CEC with low OM

24. Maximizing N efficiency
Low risk low cost
Planter plus sidedress
Early Ammonia
Coulter from V5 to V7
Y drop or dribble V8 to Tassel-14
Lowest risk of both loss and mistakes

25. Impact of Sidedress Ammonia
Medium to Heavy Soil, Central IL 2014
C/C, Banded with Planter, Seeded at 36,000

26. Impact of Sidedress Ammonia
Medium to Heavy Soil, Central IL 2015
C/SB, Banded with Planter, Seeded at 36,000

27. Impact of Sidedress Ammonia
Medium to Heavy Soil, Central IL 2016
C/SB, Banded with Planter, Seeded at 36,000

28. Impact of Sidedress Ammonia
Medium to Heavy Soil, Central IL 2017
C/SB, Banded with Planter, Seeded at 36,000

29. The population/nutrition/ space triangle
Soybean Edition
Population
Space
Nutrition

30. Soybean Yields S# Swt Number of Plants Number of Branches
Number of Nodes
Number of Flowers
Number of Pods
Seeds per pod
Swt

33. Soybean Population Dramatic increase in seed costs
Rethinking
Dramatic increase in seed costs
Primary yield loss appears to aborted pods
Improved planting systems
“At final populations of 100,000 plants row spacing had no impact on yield”
“Thinning the stand at R-1 had no impact on final yield at populations above 100,000”

34. Soybean Population
Conventional Wisdom
Large volume of data showing seeding rates of 125,000 maximizing yields
90% germination and 90% emergence leaves about 100,000 final
Little or no discussion of spacing, many research trials used “cone” planters
Are final stands of 80,000 adequate with good spacing? Lower?

35. 20” rows at 100k, Planted
April 21, no-till heavy residue

36. V3 V3
60% Canopy, June 28

37. Iowa City, 20 Rows Planted April 25
Soybean Population
Iowa City, 20 Rows Planted April 25

38. Iowa City, 20 Rows Planted April 25
Soybean Population
Iowa City, 20 Rows Planted April 25

39. Iowa City, 20 Rows Planted April 25
Soybean Population
Iowa City, 20 Rows Planted April 25

40. LeClaire, IA, Planted 5/13, 15” rows
Soybean Population
LeClaire, IA, Planted 5/13, 15” rows

42. Central Illinois, 20” Rows, Planted April 25, 2017
Soybean Population
Central Illinois, 20” Rows, Planted April 25, 2017

43. Central Illinois, 20” Rows, Planted May 17, 2017
Soybean Population
Central Illinois, 20” Rows, Planted May 17, 2017

44. McLean County, IL, Planted May 10, 30” rows
Soybean Population
McLean County, IL, Planted May 10, 30” rows

45. McLean County, IL, Planted April 25, 30” rows
Soybean Population
McLean County, IL, Planted April 25, 30” rows

46. V3 V3