Waiting for the next corn seed advancement

2underage · Mar 3, 2017

What we need here in the north is a corn variety that you plant in the fall and it spouts in the spring when the ground is warm enough to support the plant. Now, before you ridicule my idea, let me offer some reasoning for my idea.

Last June I was riding past a field of soybeans when I noticed that there was a lot of corn growing along with the beans and I remembered when I planted soybeans that I also had a nice crop of corn in with the beans. This so called "volunteer corn" had sprouted from corn that was lost during the fall combining operation.

If this wild corn can withstand the effects of frost and freezing weather and then spring to life when the ground warms in the spring then I ask you why can't these seed corn companies develop a variety that can be fall planted for the next years crop?

One of the big problems of growing grain corn here is that often the ground does not get dry or warm enough to run a planter over the field until mid-June or later. If they would develop a fall planting hybrid that we could plant right behind the combine we could avoid all of the frustrations of spring planting. Just thinking foolishly in my old age. Happy farming.

Eldon (WA) · Mar 3, 2017

(quoted from post at 11:23:21 03/03/17) What we need here in the north is a corn variety that you plant in the fall and it spouts in the spring when the ground is warm enough to support the plant. Now, before you ridicule my idea, let me offer some reasoning for my idea.

Last June I was riding past a field of soybeans when I noticed that there was a lot of corn growing along with the beans and I remembered when I planted soybeans that I also had a nice crop of corn in with the beans. This so called "volunteer corn" had sprouted from corn that was lost during the fall combining operation.

If this wild corn can withstand the effects of frost and freezing weather and then spring to life when the ground warms in the spring then I ask you why can't these seed corn companies develop a variety that can be fall planted for the next years crop?

One of the big problems of growing grain corn here is that often the ground does not get dry or warm enough to run a planter over the field until mid-June or later. If they would develop a fall planting hybrid that we could plant right behind the combine we could avoid all of the frustrations of spring planting. Just thinking foolishly in my old age. Happy farming.

The problem I would see is if you get a warm February and the corn comes up only to be killed by a frost....$$$$ down the drain.

W_B · Mar 3, 2017

Or worse, it starts growing due to an extended warm and wet fall and is killed by the first frost.

Dave H (MI) · Mar 3, 2017

I'm two years now picking corn in January. When was it I was going to plant again?

paul · Mar 3, 2017

There was a lot of talk of that back in, oh, 90s maybe? They were going to develop polymers that reacted to temp or moisture or whatever and could plant any time, the seed coating would activate at the right time and off the crop grows.

Haven't heard of it since.

Paul

Moonlite37 · Mar 3, 2017

My nephew with a degree in ag science tells me that it is possible to develop corn that will reproduce by ryzomes but the universities research is paid by the seed and chemical companies. They would have nothing to gain and there could be little diversity by selective breeding

2underage · Mar 3, 2017

As I recall Dave you were having problems with your combine. Even here in NNY state I have never failed to get my corn combined in November and I expect that as you get your machinery adjusted you will have your crops harvested quite early. There are always delays at the place where you sell your grain but as they get to know you and you know them they will help you coordinate your harvest with their receiving practices. The on farm grain storage, you are building, will also be a big help . Happy farming.

And yes, my post was meant to be a "little tongue in cheek".

Dave H (MI) · Mar 3, 2017

I forgot something on my post...

...the ONLY way you would know I was not being a joik! Sorry.

rrlund · Mar 3, 2017

I could use it most years because of wet ground,but we had such a wet fall that I wouldn't have been able to plant this past fall anyway.

onefarmer · Mar 3, 2017

Winter wheat is planted in the fall usually makes it thru the winter. Now if they could find and splice in the gene that allows it into corn........

Straw Boss · Mar 3, 2017

Machinery companies spend millions of dollars trying to design corn planters that make a perfect stand. Uniformity of seed placement is crucial. Spacing, depth, coverage and seed to soil contact are all important to ensure a stand of corn comes up out of the ground evenly and there's a reason for that. One plant will overshadow and stunt it's neighbor if they don't emerge on the same day and will have a dramatic effect on yield.

Volunteer corn on the other hand is laying on top of the ground and will sprout over a number of months every time you have a rain event sufficient enough to sprout a few more. If the corn was actually "planted" in the fall vs. laying on top of the ground, it would sprout right off then die when it got cold unless you planted when the ground was near froze to keep it from sprouting. Winter wheat and rye will sprout but go into a dormancy and even then can often winter kill come spring if conditions aren't right. Of course I'm talking about the Dakotas here, not Kansas or Missouri. Even if a corn plant could be bred to go dormant and survive a winter in frozen ground, the chances of it all "taking off" again on the same day are pretty nil. Interesting concept though.

coonie minnie · Mar 3, 2017

As mentioned below, there was experimentation with a polymer treated seed that wouldn't allow the plant to grow until the soil temp got above a certain point. I knew someone who grew some... and he planted as soon as it was fit. The problem was it warmed up pretty early, the stuff came up, and froze off. I think that was enough for some of the early adopters. I have not heard of it since.

Rollie NE PA · Mar 3, 2017

Years ago I saw a article where a company was experimenting with a planter that could plant pre-sprouted corn. The corn was in a gel like substance. I guess it never worked out.

WGM · Mar 3, 2017

Must be similar to that 200 mpg carburetor the oil companies bought to keep off the market.

fixerupper · Mar 3, 2017

The seed that survived the winter and sprouted in the spring was above ground and relatively dry all winter. In the spring it was rained on and it grew. In no till conditions the bottom kernels on an ear laying on the ground will stay wet long enough to germinate and grow. If the ground is tilled in the spring the seed is worked into the soil just like it was planted, and it grows. If the field is chiseled in the fall some of the seed is buried in soil and usually rots.

Bruce from Can. · Mar 3, 2017

While you are waiting, climate change will come along, and you will be able to just use the corn we already have. Just be patient.

jimg.allentown · Mar 3, 2017

That 200mpg carburetor simply did not exist. Laws of physics still apply regardless of who owns this imaginary device.
If you calculate out the amount of energy needed to move a car 200 miles, and compare that to the BTU content of a gallon of gasoline, you will see that such a device is quite impossible.

BTW, that story has been going around for many, many years. I first heard it in the 1960s. I thought it a bit far-fetched then, and I still consider it nothing more than a romantic fairy tale.

tomstractorsandtoys · Mar 4, 2017

Fielder's Choice had that corn in 2003-2005? I planted about 10 acres the last year we farmed in Maryland (2004). We would aim to plant corn May 1 but often it would get wet the so that year I planted the coated corn April 5. It came up a little earlier than I wanted but it worked good.The company told me that when you went further north the advantage was lost because the soil needs to be fit to plant but not warm enough and often here in WI that does not happen untill planting time. In the east we had lots of time where the soil was dry enough to plant but it was to early. Tom

Waiting for the next corn seed advancement

2underage

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Eldon (WA)

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W_B

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Dave H (MI)

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paul

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Moonlite37

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2underage

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Dave H (MI)

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rrlund

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onefarmer

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Straw Boss

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coonie minnie

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Rollie NE PA

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WGM

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fixerupper

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Bruce from Can.

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jimg.allentown

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tomstractorsandtoys

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