Short Corn for Tall Yields

Profitability, sustainability, and accessibility are key concerns for every grower. Bayer® Crop Sciences has a new corn product being grown in major trials across the corn belt that offers a “short” answer to growers’ concerns: Preceon™ short stature corn.
 
Preceon is the next generation of corn seed coming to fields near you in the future. It’s literally short corn – corn plants that top out at < 7 ft. tall, instead of the usual 9-12 ft. tall. 
 
Karson Schoening, Federated ag sales rep out of Ogilvie, noted the corn is being shortened in the breeding process by shortening the nodes below the ear; additionally, Bayer is working to shorten the nodes above the ear to keep the ear height the same in short stature corn as it is in traditional, taller corn.
 
And, because it’s shorter, Preceon short stature corn carries valuable benefits. 
 

• Standability is greatly improved with the thicker stalk on short stature corn; there is much less risk of lodging during high-wind events.
• Root quality is improved with corn, which improves nutrient uptake.
• Yields are improved (as evidenced in the ongoing trials) under normal planting populations, but those populations can be 4000-6000 plants per acre higher with the short stature corn – increasing yields even further. Row spacing can be reduced as well.
• Shorter corn allows for more access in the field as standard-height spraying equipment can navigate the fields with ease all the way through tassel. Fungicide applications, in particular, will be easily manageable.
• Ear height will be compatible with combines at harvest.

 
Watch for more news on Preceon short stature corn seed. Preceon seed at the right maturity for Federated’s areas is yet to come, but the future of corn is of shorter stature. Your Federated Agronomist will keep you apprised.