Corn South November 2022

2023 Hybrid Guide

ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

Southern Production & Marketing Strategies

A Supplement to Cotton Farming and The Peanut Grower Magazines

November 2022

Market Factors

Using Cover Crops With Corn The benefits of cover crops are well known.

However, few Mississippi growers use cover crops in corn because of nominal monetary return and the challenges it presents, says Erick Larson, Mississippi State Amanda Huber University Extension Editor agronomist.

Corn is the first crop planted in Mississippi each year, often as early as March, Larson says, in what is usually a rainy time of year. The vegetation produced by a cover crop can mechanically hinder planting and restrict sunlight from warming and drying the soil. This also can limit seed germination and establishment of a good stand of corn, reducing productivity.

Because of this, MSU researchers are looking at how to successfully use cover crops in corn production and will develop strategies to overcome challenges unique to this row crop.

The project will evaluate the following: • The timing of herbicide applications to terminate the cover crop.

• Cover crop planting and tillage methods.

• Plant species grown for cover crops.

Nolan Mullican, an MSU graduate student who is studying agronomy and is part of the research team, says the overall goal of this research, which began in 2020, is to minimize interference from cover crops on corn establishment, growth and productivity.

“Our findings will identify limitations associated with cover crops and lead to development of practical systems that will sustain soil health benefits and improve returns.”

Based on early results, Mullican says the timing of cover crop termination has a dramatic effect on the vigor, health and outcome of subsequently planted corn. Additionally, results show substantial differences in the suitability of different cover crop species to corn production systems. These differences include growth habit, ease of establishment and adaptability to a southern climate.

We can look forward to hearing more from these researchers as they develop strategies to overcome the challenges and successfully use cover crops in corn production.

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Volatility Remains In The Market

he forecasted yield potential for corn is almost 10% below the historical average, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension grain economist Mark Welch says revisions to U.S. corn acres and yield in the September Crop Production report and use in the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates left forecasted corn ending stocks at their lowest level since 2012.

“Corn harvested acres were reduced by 1 million to 80.8, the lowest since 2015. Yield was lowered 2.9 bushels to 172.5, a level that is about 4% below the trendline yield of 178.6 bushels. Compared to the August estimates, the 2022 corn crop is down 415 million bushels to 13.9 billion.”

Reduced Acreage And Yield In Mississippi, it was a late start at planting and high heat and drought during the peak season that led to reduced corn yield.

Erick Larson, Mississippi State University Extension agronomist in grain crops, says the hottest, driest summer in five years was difficult for irrigated fields and sometimes devastating for non-irrigated acreage.

“Most of our corn crop this year was relatively late because of a lack of planting opportunities in March and early April due to rainy weather,” Larson says. “This means it was reaching its most sensitive reproductive periods when the hot temperatures started in mid-June.”

The state is expected to see an average per-acre yield around 172 bushels per acre.

Since 2017, Mississippi growers have harvested between 174 and 189 bushels an acre on average. This year, growers in Mississippi planted 580,000 acres of corn, down about 150,000 acres from 2021.

Price Increase On Smaller Crop On the demand side, Welch says the total use was down by 250 million bushels on lower numbers for feed, fuel and exports.

“This left ending stocks down by 169 million bushels to 1.219 billion. Estimated days

Market Trends • Yield is forecasted at 10% below the historical average, and harvested acres are down as well.

• Price has increased based on the reduced crop with futures in mid-September at nearly $7.

• Higher prices have reduced demand of corn for feed, but ethanol and exports remain strong. of use on hand at the end of the marketing year were lowered by 3.7 to a 31.2-day supply,” he says.

MSU Extension agricultural economist Will Maples says the current national average corn price is projected at $6.75. This would be the highest price since 2012, when the national average was $6.89 per bushel.

“The December 2022 Chicago Board of Trade corn futures contract peaked in midMay at $7.65 per bushel,” he says.

For the first time since March, Maples says, prices dropped below $6 in June, when there was a large corn contract selloff.

The price has steadily increased since then based on the expectation of a smaller crop than originally estimated. As of mid-September, corn futures were $6.96 per bushel.

“These high prices have dampened the demand for corn used for feed, but demand for corn to produce ethanol remains steady,” Maples says. “Export demand remains strong but is estimated lower than last year due to lower corn production in the U.S. “The current estimate for corn use in the United States is that approximately 37% will go to feed, 37% to ethanol and 16% to exports,” he says. CS

Corn South: Covering Southern Corn Production Corn South is a supplement to the Mid-South and Southeast versions of Cotton Farming magazine and to The Peanut Grower magazine for producers in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. To receive Corn South, visit www.CornSouth.com and click on “Subscribe to Corn South.”

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2023 Corn Hybrids Corn South presents a partial listing of corn hybrids suited for the Southern growing region. For a more complete listing, contact your seed representative.

DEKALB DKC62-05 Brand (112RM) DKC62-08 Brand (112RM) • Versatile product with top-end yield potential: nice drydown and test weight • Very good stalks, roots and drought tolerance • Proven performer and adapted to most acres • DKC62-05 Brand is a great refuge option in proven genetics DKC63-56 Brand (113RM) DKC63-57 Brand (113RM) • Broadly adapted product that has shown strong yields across environments • Has shown excellent standability • Can flex at reduced plant populations • Solid agronomics and disease tolerance package for versatility in most geographies • DKC63-56 Brand is a great refuge option in proven genetics DKC65-93 Brand (115RM) DKC65-95 Brand (115RM) • Good stress tolerance and strong yield potential across environments • Strong roots and stalks provide good standability, attractive plant • Excellent grain quality and test weight • DKC65-93 Brand is a great refuge option in proven genetics DKC66-06 Brand (116RM) NEW • Excellent yield potential • Solid agronomics with very good roots and stalks; Flex ear • Broadly adapted across most soil types DKC67-44 Brand (117RM) • Can perform in low- and high-yield environments • Nice ear flex and grain quality • Very good disease tolerance but may benefit from a fungicide application DKC67-94 Brand (117RM) • Exciting yield with broad east to west movement across the southern geography • Versatile across soil types, crop rotations • Strong disease package • Additional above-ground protection with Trecepta technology DKC68-35 Brand (118RM) NEW • Potential yield leader TWITTER: @CORN_SOUTH

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Solid emergence and early growth Flex ear with very good drought tolerance White cob Manage late nitrogen and fungicide to maximize potential

DKC68-95 Brand (118RM) • Attractive shorter product with a dense full canopy showing top-end yield potential • Solid agronomics, especially roots, for the Southeast market • Medium to medium high planting populations recommended • Product designed specifically with the Southeast and Carolinas in mind DKC69-99 Brand (119RM) • Top-end yield performance across the Cotton Belt • Excellent staygreen, test weight and stress tolerance; semi-flex ear • Additional above ground protection with Trecepta technology DKC70-45 Brand (120RM) NEW • Late maturity with top-end yield potential • Robust, eye-catching plant stature with a girthy, semi-flex ear • Very good grain quality • Versatile across environments

NK Corn NK1082 • Field Forged Series hybrid with the DuracadeViptera, Viptera and Artesian traits • Broadly adapted for all environments • Moderate plant stature with great emergence for earlier planting window • Provides a flexible trait offering for a step change in above- and below-ground management NK1188 • Field Forged Series hybrid offered with the Duracade trait • Consistent yield potential and agronomics across environments • Attractive plant height and ear placement • Improved test weight and grain quality; dependable drought tolerance NK1523 • High-end yield potential with agronomic stability

• Field Forged Series hybrid with Viptera trait • Consistent yield potential in a broadly adapted hybrid • Noteworthy for its strong and robust root structure • Excellent yield potential with increased management NK1661 • Field Forged Series hybrid is offered with the DuracadeViptera and Artesian traits • Excellent yield potential across the entire Corn Belt • Best on the medium to fine soils • Strong disease package and plant health that provides crop rotation flexibility • Dependable stalks and roots for population flexibility across all environments NK1677 • Field Forged hybrid with higher-yield potential • Responds well to management • Improved test weight and grain quality with desirable ear placement and husk cover • Excellent combination of strong root and stalks NK1701 - NEW • Viptera trait combined with excellent yield potential with strong agronomics • Very good stalk and root strength for late-season standability • Strong performance in medium- and high-yield environments • A moderate plant stature with a very strong disease package NK1748 • Field Forged hybrid with yield potential across all environments • Improved agronomics with stable yield potential • Very strong roots with moderate plant and ear height • Improvement in test weight and grain quality NK1838 • Field Forged hybrid with high yield potential in productive environments • Strong roots with excellent staygreen • Tall plant with a larger canopy for dualpurpose silage • Outstanding ear flex

For additional information: • www.DEKALB.com/myseed • www.NKCorn.com NOVEMBER 2022 | CORN SOUTH

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Crop Management

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relatively new disease to the United States, tar spot has quickly become an agronomic and economic concern for corn farmers.

Tar spot was first found in the Midwest in 2015, and it was thought to only be a minor cosmetic issue. In 2018, farmers realized it was much more serious when a widespread outbreak led to significant yield losses. Now it’s known that the disease can cause yield loss up to 50 bushels per acre.

The disease was found in Georgia in both 2021 and this season, but it was found too late in the season to cause yield loss, according to University of Georgia plant pathologist Bob Kemerait.

“It was easy to find tar spot disease in late-planted corn in some counties, along with southern rust and southern corn leaf blight,” Kemerait says. “Tar spot came in too late to hurt yield, but growers need to know it is here.”

Will Tubbs, market development specialist for Corteva Agriscience, who is based in Iowa, says, “Factors such as hybrid tolerance,

previous tar spot infection, timing of infection, environmental conditions, overall plant health and fungicide applications can all factor in together to impact yield losses in corn.”

University and industry researchers are still learning more about this disease.

Tubbs says, many experts predict that its footprint will likely expand in the future due to its ability to reproduce and disperse so rapidly.

“Tar spot is likely going to appear on some level each year for the foreseeable future, but it will be difficult to predict how severe infection will be until symptoms appear in our fields,” he says.

Tar spot is caused by the fungus Phyllachora maydis and manifests as small, raised stromata on plant leaves. The stromata look like small, black spots that turn into black oval or circular lesions. These symptoms start on the lowest leaves, spreading to upper leaves, leaf sheathes and the husks of developing ears. Eventually, the disease can cause premature plant death.

Kemerait says, while the future impact of

PHOTO PROVIDED BY UGA EXTENSION

Disease Watch: Tar Spot

This example of tar spot was found on corn in the black layer stage in Sumter County, Georgia, in a field of continuous corn with volunteers that survived into the winter because of the warmer weather.

tar spot for corn production in Georgia is not known, producers should be prepared to scout fields for this disease and prepare for timely fungicide applications to reduce risk of substantial yield loss. CS

Reducing Aflatoxin In Grain Corn

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PHOTO PROVIDED BY NCSU EXTENSION

flatoxins are a type of mycotoxin that is produced by Aspergillus flavus which has a worldwide impact on human and animal health. They are particularly dangerous to animals and can be passed through dairy feed into milk that is consumed by humans.

Even though mycotoxins occur frequently in nature, it is important to mitigate it as early as possible to prevent illnesses and food waste. Sound post-harvest practices can reduce or prevent contamination or buildup once the crop is harvested and stored.

Most Aspergillus contamination occurs on

corn with broken and damaged kernels and in foreign material. Heat and drought stress can cause seed coat fractures and increase the chances of infection. Even if corn was previously free of aflatoxin, when under these conditions in the presence of mold and fungi, aflatoxin can develop in corn within 24 hours.

Proper harvest, handling and storage of grain can reduce and prevent contamination.

Pre-Harvest: • Clean out harvest, handling, drying and storage equipment.

• Check and repair grain bins.

• Use an approved insecticide to treat bins before filling.

• Mow around storage bins.

Harvest: • Set combines to maximize cleaning of grain and minimize grain damage.

• Set fans higher to clean out lightweight, cracked grain and undeveloped kernels.

• Don’t pick up ears in contact with the ground.

Storage: • Do not hold high moisture grain in wagons or trucks longer than six hours.

• Keep moisture below 12%-13%.

• Cool grain below 60°F with outside air as soon as temperatures permit.

• Aerate stored grain when grain is 10°F warmer than outside air temperatures and the humidity is below 65%.

• Inspect and probe grain every three to four weeks.

Article by Kinsey Everhart, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Agent, Livestock and Row Crops, Anson County.

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