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Seed
Inputs
When
growing high oil corn using the TopCross® system the seed planted will
be a blend of female grain parent and male pollinator.
SEED
COSTS
Since
this is a special production system and the grain produced carries additional
value, there may be an additional cost for the seed. Your dealer will
be able to tell you the exact amount. For example, a typical TC Blend®
seed bag may cost $30 (per unit) more than a similar regular hybrid
(not high oil).
PLANTING
RATE
Since
the seed contains a percentage of pollinator plants to ensure the high
oil content, it is important to consider the correct populations. A
bag (unit) of corn seed will typically contain about 80,000 kernels.
Depending on the hybrid and individual field conditions, the target
planting rate for regular corn will vary between 25,000 to 30,000 per
acre.
Analysis
of many trials over multiple conditions has shown that a general starting
point for calculating planting rate is:
19,800
plus (50 times the expected yield in bushels)
e.g.
19,800 + (50 times 180) would mean 28,800 plants/acre.
(more seeds than this may be sown, depending on the establishment rate)
For
high oil corn using the TopCross® production system it is best to increase
the seeding rate by 2,500-3,000 per acre when the normal rate is less
than 30,000. If the normal planting rate used is above 30,000
there will be less gain from increasing the seeding rate for the TopCross®
system.
Once
a target rate is established then the number of acres planted by an
80,000 kernel bag of seed can be determined:
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Target
Population
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Acres
planted
per unit
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24,000
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3.33
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25,000
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3.20
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26,000
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3.08
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27,000
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2.96
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28,000
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2.86
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29,000
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2.76
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30,000
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2.58
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31,000
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2.50
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