Fred E. Below, Adam Henninger, and Matias Ruffo

Crop Physiology Laboratory, University of Illinois, and Mosaic Fertilizer

Quest for 300 Bushel Corn

HermanWarsaw’s farmSaybrook, IL

July 1985

Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World

•Ranks those factors that each year can have a positive (and sometimes negative) impact on corn yield

•Gives each factor an average bushel per acre value

Crucial Prerequisites, but Not Yield Wonders

•Drainage

•Pest/Weed Control

•Proper soil pH & adequate levels of P and K based on soil tests

10Growth Regulators

15Tillage

20Plant

Population

25Previous Crop

50Hybrid

70Nitrogen70+Weather

7

6

5

43

2

1bu/acre

ValueFactorRank

Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World

260 buTotalGiven key prerequisites

10 4Growth Regulators

15 6Tillage20 8Plant Population

25 10Previous Crop50 19Hybrid 70 26Nitrogen 70+ 27Weather

7

6

5

43

2

1bu/acre %

ValueFactorRank

Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World

260bu 100%Total =Given key prerequisites

How to Get 300 Bushels?

• Provide better prerequisites, especially mineral nutrients

• Try to optimize each of the seven wonders and their positive interactions

Prerequisites for 300 Bushels?

•Proper soil pH & adequate levels of P and K based on soil tests

•Fertility- Required amounts of nutrients each year, Sulfur & Micronutrients?

10 4Growth Regulators

15 6Tillage20 8Plant Population

25 10Previous Crop50 19Hybrid 70 26Nitrogen 70+ 27Weather

7

6

5

43

2

1bu/acre %

ValueFactorRank

Where are the Positive Interactions?

260bu 100%Total =

0 50 100 150 200 250

120

140

160

180

200

220 Hybrid Pair 1

0 50 100 150 200 250

Refuge

Gra

in y

ield

(b

u/a

cre

)

Fertilizer N rate (lb/acre)

Better N use from Biotechnology Traits?

VT3

Hybrid Pair 2

Champaign, IL 2008

Better N use from Biotechnology Traits

Hybrid NUE Uptake Utilization

kg/kg N % kg/kg N

RW-Bt 25.9* 71* 36.4

Non-RW 17.0 52 33.1

RW-Bt 31.7* 71* 44.6

Non-RW 22.4 56 40.1*different from non-RW counterpart P< 0.05

Greater Nutrient Removal with Grain as a Result of Biotechnology Traits

NutrientNon RW resistant

Root worm

resistantDifference

bushels or lbs/acre removed %

Yield 179 205 15

N 110 126 14

P 17 21 24

K 26 31 19

S 8.9 10.4 17

Zn (oz) 2.2 2.8 27Champaign, IL 2008, average of two hybrid pairs

How to Get 300 Bushels?

• Better prerequisites along with packages of optimized yield wonders.

• Is the value of combined factors greater than their individual impact?

10Growth Regulators

15Tillage

20Plant

Population

25Previous Crop

50Hybrid

70Nitrogen70+Weather

7

6

5

43

2

1bu/acre

ValueFactorRank

Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World

260 buTotalImproved Fertility Prerequisites

Factors for Standard PracticeFertility No P or K based on soil test

Nitrogen 180 lbs pre-plant as UAN

Genetics RR Hybrid (DKC 61-22) with soil insecticide at planting

Population 32,000 plants/ac final stand in 30 inch rows

Fungicide No Fungicide

Factors in High Tech PackageFertility 100 lbs P2O5 as MESZ

supplies P, S, and Zn

Nitrogen 100 lb extra N as SuperUrea as sidedress to assure available N

Genetics Triple stack (DKC 61-19) with soil insecticide at planting

Population 45,000 plants/ac final standin 30 inch rows

Fungicide Strobilurin at flowering Headline or Quilt-Xcel

Best High Yield Factors- Omission Plot

DeKalb

Champaign

DixonSprings

Omission Plots 2009DeKalb

•Planted May 31•Hard Frost October 10

Champaign•Planted May 26

Dixon Springs•Planted June 8

All Sites•180 lbs base N as UAN•DKC 61-19 or 61-22•Soybean as previous crop•Conventional tillage

High Tech Package vs Traditional Champaign-2009

High Tech PackagePictures taken at R5 on 9/17/09 by Adam Henninger

Traditional

High Tech Package versus TraditionalChampaign - 2009

For 1/1000 of an acre

High Technology Package Traditional Practice

Location Traditional Practice

High Tech Package

bu acre-1

DeKalb 199 213 14*

Champaign 208 274 66*

Dixon Springs 188 245 57*

Yield Enhancement with High Tech Package

* Significance difference (p<0.10)

Data from 2009

Omit Factor High Tech Package

bu acre-1

All Factors 274

Fertility 256 -18

Nitrogen 250 -24

Genetics 247 -27

Population 260 -14

Fungicide 262 -12

Omit From High Tech - Champaign

LSD (p<0.10) = 12

Traditional High Tech

+/- Factor Yield Yield bu acre-1

None or All 208 274

Fertility 215 + 7 256 -18Nitrogen 224 +16 250 -24Genetics 216 + 8 247 -27

Population 193 -15 260 -14

Fungicide 204 - 4 262 -12

Traditional vs High Tech - Champaign

LSD (p<0.10) = 12

Omit Factor High Tech Package

bu acre-1

All Factors 245

Fertility 239 - 6

Nitrogen 230 -15

Genetics 223 -22

Population 241 - 4

Fungicide 221 -24

Omit From High Tech – Dixon Springs

LSD (p<0.10) = 13

Traditional High Tech

+/- Factor Yield Yield bu acre-1

None or All 188 245

Fertility 188 0 239 - 6Nitrogen 187 - 1 230 -15Genetics 199 +11 223 -22

Population 177 -11 241 - 4

Fungicide 192 + 4 221 -24

Traditional vs High Tech – Dixon Springs

LSD (p<0.10) = 13

Omit Factor High Tech Package

bu acre-1

All Factors 213

Fertility 216 +3

Nitrogen 217 +4

Genetics 210 - 3

Population 201 -12

Fungicide 216 +3

Omit From High Tech - DeKalb

LSD (p<0.10) = 11

Traditional High Tech

+/- Factor Yield Yield bu acre-1

None or All 199 213

Fertility 199 0 216 + 3Nitrogen 200 + 1 217 + 4Genetics 201 + 2 210 - 3

Population 202 + 4 201 -12

Fungicide 197 - 2 216 + 3

Traditional vs High Tech– DeKalb

LSD (p<0.10) = 11

Traditional High Tech

Factor Yield Yield bu acre-1

None or All 198 244

Fertility 200 + 2 237 - 7Nitrogen 204 + 6 233 -11Genetics 205 + 7 227 -17

Population 191 - 7 234 -10

Fungicide 198 0 234 -10

Omission Plot – Average Three Sites

LSD (p<0.10) = 7 Data from DeKalb, Champaign and Dixon Springs 2009

Increasing Plant Population with Twin Rows

Champaign, IL 2009

Twin-Row Demonstration-2009Fertility At Planting (mg/planted plant)

N 225P2O5 595K2O 212S 50Zn 5

Population 35, 45, 55 x 1000 plants/acall in 7.5” centered twin rows

Fungicide Strobilurin at flowering with and without Headline

DKC 64-24, 180 lbs N/acre pre-plant as UAN, mulch tillage, planted May 22

AGCO-White Research Twin Row Planter

Champaign, IL 2009

Soil Conditions at Planting

Champaign, IL 2009

Seedling Emergence

Champaign, IL 2009

Plant Spacing with Twin Rows

35,000 plants/acre 55,000 plants/acre

Champaign, IL 2009

Vegetative Growth

Champaign, IL 2009

Late Vegetative Growth

Plant Population and Fungicide Application in Twin Rows

Plant Population Fungicide

Planted Final Without Withplants/acre x 1000 Bu/acre

35 29 229 247*

45 37 236 253*

55 45 265 278*

Champaign, IL 2009

* Significance difference between fungicide treatment (p<0.10)

Quest for 300 Bushel Corn

University of Illinois

Research FarmChampaign, IL November 2009

Conclusions• Big yield gains are possible

from crop management that provides better Fertility along with packages of optimized Yield Wonders

• The yield value of an individual factor is small compared to the combined value of all factors

AcknowledgementsFinancial Support•Mosaic•BASF•GrowMark•Syngenta•Agrotain•AGCO•Fert Res Ed Council

Personnel•Brad Bandy•Ryan Becker•Fernando Cantao•Jason Haegele •Mark Harrison•Jim Kleiss•Bianca Moria•Juliann Seebauer•Martín Uribelarrea•Mike Vincent •Wendy White•Matt Wiebers