World Record corn harvest -- ORGANIC~!

SimplerTimez · #21 12/27/13, 07:53 PM

Just goes to show how nearly any article (for/against) can be manipulated.

Four (4) transgenes are included in this particular corn variety from Pioneer Hi Bred (HX1, YGCB, LL and RR2), plus the seed is pre-treated with Poncho 1250. He won't be selling that corn as 'organic' under current standards, so maybe ethanol will be the winner. In previous years Mr. Hula was also using sewage sludge for his fertilizer applications.
(info found in the ppt presentation from the LSU Ag presentation regarding corn yield testing in February 2012)

https://www.pioneer.com/home/site/us...ld-production/

Whether one is for or against seed technology, at least the articles should be more forthright - hybridized can mislead a lot of people, and transgenic is more appropriate in this case.

~ST

Paquebot · #22 12/27/13, 07:58 PM

A bushel of shelled corn is 56#. Combines measure by weight. Greener corn has higher percentage of water so 56# fresh from the machine may be 45# when dried down to a safe percentage.

Martin

elkhound · #23 12/27/13, 08:23 PM

no matter the details...its an impressive harvest.

its not like the NCGA doesn't understand how to measure corn volumes.....

Brighton · #24 12/27/13, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MO_cows

Looks awful green to be harvesting. Around here they let it dry down more on the stalk before combining.

I have never in my life seen corn harvested so green!!

Paquebot · #25 12/27/13, 08:59 PM

Combines now can harvest corn at 35% moisture. That allows farmers to grow corn which uses virtually every growing day from planting to frost. In years past, had to wait until the corn was down to 15% or lower. That meant that a lot of late corn was lost to weather. Now it can be combined when the stalks are still green. Ironically, some here say that it should not go to ethanol? Such high-moisture corn here goes straight to the elevators for a quick dry and then to the ethanol plants. If not dried to 15% immediately, 35% corn will begin molding in 24 hours. Once it begins to mold, ethanol is about all it's good for. Remember, "the truth is more important than the facts".

Martin

Lazy J · #26 12/27/13, 09:06 PM

It is called "stay green." The longer the stalk stays green and growing it is more resilient and resists breakage. Allowing the corn to dry to 15% is asking for lodging problems and yield loss. In addition, many of us farmers believe in a phenomenon we call "phantom yield loss" possibly due to starch loss in the corn kernal.

I prefer to start harvesting corn when the moisture of the corn reaches 24%.

Jim

rambler · #27 12/27/13, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MO_cows

Looks awful green to be harvesting. Around here they let it dry down more on the stalk before combining.

Pushing such high yields requires heavy planting population per acre. We typically plant 29,000 to 36,000 plants per acre.

He might be near 50,000. That makes the plants very weak.

As well to get 3x the yield, you need to feed the plants 3x as much. Spoon feeding, every couple weeks, but you are feeding them a lot more N and all the rest. A lot of N makes the plants weak too.

So he likely has to harvest a tad early, before the whole mess falls over. As well the extra feeding tends to keep the plant a little greener, even if the ear is mature and drying down.

It will be adjusted to dry bushels tho, there is no harvesting it real wet and trying to count the water as if it were corn.

A lot of those that try for the corn yield record have found corn on corn is better than alternating crops. The soil microbes use the carbon from last years corn stalks - if you feed enough N into the soil to balance the carbon. The super rich carbon and N creates a frenzy zone of microbes.....

You don't get that effect from decaying soybean stems. Economically I like alternating crops, a grass and a legume, but for top corn yields economics don't count....

I was at a seminar of the top soybean yield champ, he does some odd things to get his record bean yield. Its all small steps, put together over the years, and then some luck from the weather. He grows onions, and has some special dirt on part of his farm in Missouri, very rich dep ground, heavily fertilizer from the onions and microbial activity.

Paul

sammyd · #28 12/27/13, 09:55 PM

I don't know Martin combines have always been able to harvest pretty moist. We put up a lot of high moisture corn in the 30% or better range back in the late 70's early 80's.

Paquebot · #29 12/27/13, 11:19 PM

In the 1970s, farmers indeed were trying to combine 30% corn. When I was coon hunting in corn country, one could always tell which farms were combining early as they had a propane dryer going 24/7. Had a friend who was a propane truck driver and he was on call 7 days a week October through November. Now it all goes straight to co-ops unless a farm is big enough to have their own big storage bins and dryers. In the 1950s, still only ears and one didn't want more than 20%. Yes, lost a lot of kernels and ears but what was picked didn't spoil and didn't need a fortune in propane or LNG to dry it.

Martin

Forerunner · #30 12/28/13, 05:55 AM

That trend hasn't changed any.

All the corn in this area was picked wet this year, due to the late spring and subsequently delayed growing/maturing season.

Those LP trucks are still rolling......

rambler · #31 12/28/13, 07:37 AM

With a six foot wide crib, we always could put up 24-27% ear corn, it would keep fine. Back in the 1990s had a bad year, corn would not dry down, put some 32% ear corn in the crib. Not much, but had to have some for the cattle over winter. Was sure to have it used up by spring, would not keep into summer!

About 4 years ago again had one of those years. Corn would not dry down. Was mid 3 weeks late, winter knocking hard on the door, and had to go, hauled a load or 2 of combined shell corn that was 36% moisture. When I got done that year had some down to 23%, but most was very wet that year, poor quality corn. Didnt even pick any ear corn, it was just immature, not good corn at all.

We get those years every now and then, cool, short, corn doesn't mature.

It is best here to combine corn 18-20% moisture and dry it down to 15% for keeping. If the corn gets too dry in the field you lose a lot before and while harvesting it - falls over, shells out.

For ear corn in a crib about 25% works best if you have the right crib. Here.

Most farmers have lp corn driers, the alternative is haul it to the elevator as you combine it.

Very few pick much ear corn any more, they quit making field corn pickers in the 1980s.

Paul

rambler · #32 12/28/13, 08:13 AM

Perhaps, if we look into the deal a little closer, we can .earn from this.

Perhaps organic and regular farming isn't all that far apart.

Many farmers are using the same type of practices this record breaking farmer does. One of the biggest topics among farmers these days is building soil with cover crops, feeding crops with biological concepts. Making a good soil that supports the crop.

The basics of supplying N, P, K, along with some trace minerals and the micro nutrients is about the same. Keeping a healthy, active soil is about the same.

Yea different ways of getting there, but conventional farmers are doing some of the same things, as this article points out, as organic guys.

It is unfortunate a few people drive such a deep wedge between different styles of farming.

Its all farming, getting the most out of what nature gives us.

Regular farmers use good soil health too, as this article, which is poorly written for sure, points out.

Paul

Forerunner · #33 12/28/13, 08:13 AM

I've had opportunity to take down multiple ear corn cribs, both wooden and steel panel types. I have always appreciated the genius behind them, and been cognizant of the unstoppable grind of the "progress" that has replaced patience and self-sufficiency.

Those wooden cribs are a gold mine of lumber, oft-times, and the panels make great fence.

Here in one of the nation's most active corn-producing regions, the felluhs still get real excited about 250-275 BPA.

Forerunner · #34 12/28/13, 08:21 AM

I shared a noteworthy conversation with one of the biggest farmers around here.......he and his son farm 8000 acres or so average each year.....
we were discussing the clearing of rough land....on flat black soil.... and such things as reclaiming rough, grassy portions of neglected farms.
He admitted that those grassy areas produce high yields as a matter of course, the first few years after they are put into production.
When I asked him what the single most beneficial act a farmer could take to improve his soil, he said, "let it sit fallow for a year. There's just something about that year of inactivity that seems to reset the fertility".

Coming from one of the most adamant, fence-to-fence, chemical and heavy anhydrous farmers out there, I was particularly intrigued.
He and his son do not employ no-till, but have replaced the moldboards with massive rippers.

wwubben · #35 12/28/13, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MO_cows

It is still a great accomplishment. Sounds like the combination of pest resistance in the corn variety combined with his soil building paid off. This is something that will make other farmers sit up and take notice. I wish the article would have said how many acres.

To be ok'd by the national corn growers there are strict rules.I think it has to be a ten acre plot.I know it is more than one acre.GMO seed keeps it from being organic.I have two friends who grow all crops organic here and they equal the conventional farms in profit.The organic fields always have some weeds in them and that keeps a lot of farmers from growing organic. I would like to see the corn growers have a strictly organic corn yield contest.They keep track of irrigated and non-irrigated yields.

tinknal · #36 12/28/13, 08:50 AM

If my math is correct 450 bushels of 35% corn would equal 360 bushels of 15% corn.

wwubben · #37 12/28/13, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forerunner

I shared a noteworthy conversation with one of the biggest farmers around here.......he and his son farm 8000 acres or so average each year.....
we were discussing the clearing of rough land....on flat black soil.... and such things as reclaiming rough, grassy portions of neglected farms.
He admitted that those grassy areas produce high yields as a matter of course, the first few years after they are put into production.
When I asked him what the single most beneficial act a farmer could take to improve his soil, he said, "let it sit fallow for a year. There's just something about that year of inactivity that seems to reset the fertility".

Coming from one of the most adamant, fence-to-fence, chemical and heavy anhydrous farmers out there, I was particularly intrigued.
He and his son do not employ no-till, but have replaced the moldboards with massive rippers.

We have never let land sit fallow here in Iowa but this past season we had some prevented planted acres for the first time in my life.Iowa state warned of fallow syndrome and encouraged planting a cover crop on these acres.I think that farmer was pulling your leg or conditions are different in your area.I can't see anyone leaving $10,000 an acre land sit for a year.

elkhound · #38 12/28/13, 09:01 AM

that corn would make some nice silage for dairy or feed lot feed out.i would love to see the grain/leaf/stalk ration in a few shovels of that.

not to mention making earliage in ground bags.

Forerunner · #39 12/28/13, 09:05 AM

This isn't a political debate, Wubben.

No one has drawn any hard lines yet.

No need to argue with what I share as my own experience, as a matter of course.

geo in mi · #40 12/28/13, 09:15 AM

The Washington Examiner should be reprimanded for calling it "organic". There's very little, if anything, organic about it, and neither the farmer nor the company rep make any illusions about it. As has been mentioned, the corn was genetically manipulated, grown with chemical fertilizers, sprayed with Roundup, and irrigated, on soil which was already capable of producing nearly two and a half times the national average to begin with... The purchased biologicals have not been certified or approved by OMRI, which is the first step in calling a crop organic by the National Organic Program. Anyone using the term organic for their crops must follow the NOP LAW in order to use the USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC label on their products...... None of that is done in this article.

I see this as being the same as a NASCAR vehicle. Only the skin looks like a Chevrolet, or a Ford, or a Toyota--everything underneath has nothing even close to what's in a passenger car. It's okay for Corn Flakes, or hog feed or CAFE production, but organic? NOT.....

geo