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Dealing with Conventional corn issues

P

picassomcp

Member
I am really wanting to get into planting conventional corn. My seed rep says "your crazy, your spray costs will be very high" He doesn't give me a number as far as spray cost though. I don't think he actually knows what it may cost to spray conventional corn. Then when we talked Round-up corn, he says: I'd recommend a variety that has above ground protection as well as below ground protection. He recommended a variety that costs $200/bag and has both these protections.

I'd like to grow conventional corn and then sell it locally to smaller farmers feeding just a few head of cattle, or pigs, chickens, whatever. I'll likely feed a few animals myself. I'm willing to deal with a bit more in spray costs, I can spray myself if I so choose. I'm wondering about these "protections" that my seed rep talks about. I'm assuming underground includes rootworm and maybe other issues, but what above ground issues are there? Diseases? Can they be dealt with using conventional corn?

What other issues may I face if I go to a conventional hybrid? Note: I am not looking to go organic, just trying to cut the GMO's out.
 
Find another seed rep. There are farmers in my area growing conventional corn successfully. I don't grow conventional yet but I am warming up to it.
 
I went back to growing some for a few years there. Always in second year corn in a two year rotation after alfalfa. The cost per acre vs Roundup Ready was so minimal that it really wasn't worth loosing what amounted to an insurance policy of being able to clean up escapes with glyphosate. It wasn't more than about ten dollars an acre. These seed companies are in the business of taking your money. They're not going to offer you any bargains.
 
Mine came down to $250 this year from $255 last year,but they still want $200-220 for conventional. Not worth the savings.
 
all I plant is conventional corn. almost always pioneer. I don't understand why anyone would plant the triple stack ultra high priced seed to make just a little more yield per acre and drive the price down with more corn to flood the market. if you believe your seed corn rep would would believe nnalert is honest too.
 
I believe it is reasonable to suggest that if you burn down your field with roundup in the fall , and the practice conventional tillage, you can have good success. Plant to the depth of where the moisture is , and when the ground is warm. Most seeds have an treatment on them to keep them from rotting if you plant early before the grown is warm , and ready. Nothing new under the sun ,sales men want to sell what makes them the most $$$$
 
Another question: Is yield typically less with conventional corn? Or if managed correctly with timely weed control and proper fertilization, can it yield as good as GMO corn?
 
last year our corn, all conventional, made a little over 210 bu per acre. I don't think the extra cost of the fancy 'in style gmo corn' will pay for itself in a regular crop rotation.
 
The traits have nothing to do with yield,that comes from genetics all the traits do is preserve yield if there issues.I have been planting non gmo for the last 3 years yields have been the same or better than my neighbors, my seed costs have been between $100 to $150 per bag. I use root worm control in furrow and scout for corn bore.Weed control is not an issue as there are many options for that.I am happy that I went to non gmo and don't plan on going back.
 
I've grown 'conventional'(nongmo) for years.That's all I grow.The yeilds are the SAME as gmo. It does however take some better weed management.Cultivate for one.I Converted to a mid/belly cultivator from a 3 point.Dedicated a tractor(FarmallM) to a cultivator.Like the dedicated belly mount so well I'm selling my fancy 'high dollar' S-tine 3point cultivator. 2,4D/banvel for broadleaf.ResolveQ for grass.Yes,chemical cost is more,but not bad.But I get $1.00/bushel premium for nongmo.Use some type of granular treatment for rootworms.Apply those at planting or first cultivation(I cultivate twice). Rotation is much more important with nongmo,But corn on corn can be grown successfully.IMHO,GMO/Roundup Ready have made for a 'lazy' farmer. Just plant,spray,combine. One reason these guys can farm so much ground is the GMO. Pioneer offers the best selection,and purest strain of nonGMO that I've found.There may be other hybrids out there,but not in this area.As was said,you need to find a different seed 'salesman'.
 
I have never raised GMO corn in my life. Mostly because I was too tight to but the seed. My yields are as good as my neighbors. I spray pre emerge with attrazene and later if I need to, I use some 24D. I rotate with RR beans and have few weed problems.
 
I buy a lot of non GMO from Agriliant Genetics...known as LG, AgriGold, and Great Lakes. They give me no BS about whether I buy the traits or not. If your seed dealer only wants to sell traited corn, find a new dealer.
 
DELTARED, where do you market your corn for a $1.00 premium for non-gmo...nothing like that offered around where I sell at
 
$200 for rr and bT both root and stalk corn is darn cheap!

Some regions really struggle with insects on corn, there you would demand the traited corn.

Other regions the insects aren't too bad, especially if you are rotating more than every other year corn. Then its kind of a waste of money.

Yield potential is no different, traited or not. The rr makes some weed control, especially grasses in corn, a whole lot easier and cheaper. The bT makes insect control a lot easier and safer. But the corn doesn't yield more, it just is easier to preserve the yield potential it has.

You should be able to find some good conventional corn. Sounds like your salesman doesn't have any in their lineup, so you need to shop around.

Paul
 
A couple years ago when I looked into raising conventional the high specialty market for it was over 100 miles away. Way too far.
 
Some things to think about. we all grew conventional corn not that many years ago,some people like me never stopped completely and now I'm mostly non-gmo, when bt came out it was a lot better because we had heavy corn borer populations, we don't now but it is possible they could be back, you do have an option to spray for them if needed, the root worm trait is not very effective, the conv. seed is cheaper, non-gmo corn is supposed to use less water and my yields are good, RR corn does offer another option for grass control but glyphosate is killing the soil microbes affecting nutrient availability,why do you think Monsanto says you have to add microbes to your soil? you should put down a pre-dual,harness,surpass, sure start ect., there are several products for broadleaf control in conv. corn, livestock does better on non-gmo corn- this has been proven in feedlots and dairies, we all have to keep costs down with current prices, to me there's more merits and less de-merits and it works for me
 
Small local market, nongmo chicken/egg opperation.However,a couple of local BTOs have jumped on the 'bandwagon',makeing it hard for me to 'compete.
 
The RR trait will cost you $18 to $20 more per acre at 30,000 population versus conventional corn. Something you have to decide for your self. Then you have to question what glyphosate is doing to the soil.
 
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