Picking a hybrid for the field that you're going to plant in is something he believes is vitally important. When picking a hybrid, Ferrie says it is important to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the hybrid and to match those up to the strengths and weaknesses of the field that you will be working with.
One characteristic to look at is height. If you look through your lineup, and every plant you like is the same height, same tassel, same leaf structure – you may have just determined some of the characteristics you are looking for.
To mitigate risk, farmers need to plant short season hybrid corn first, and long season corn last so that all the plants are not pollinating in the same week.
Ferrie also advised farmers to factor in the big three: sunlight, water, and nutrients. You want to try to capture as much light as possible.
Farmers lose water in the field through evaporation off the ground and transpiration off the top, so water management is essential.
Finally, nutrient efficiency is also important to consider when creating your crop plans.
With those things in mind, Ferrie advised farmers to conduct proper research on the hybrids they are considering. “During the winter Farmers can say, well, here's my hybrid, and here is what these other hybrids look like compared to my hybrid.”
Watch the full 2022 Great Ontario Yield Tour presentation on learning hybrid characteristics.
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