Higher densities and improved genetics have boosted corn yields but have also changed nutrient recommendations.

Differences revealed between old and new corn hybrids

Nutrient uptake, leaf architecture and planting densities examined

Research using tissue samples from corn fields is not a new concept, but a recent sampling study has uncovered interesting insights. The Corn Era Project has revealed shifts in production, including differences between 1980s hybrids and those of today. The goal of the project was to understand what’s changed in physiological terms when comparing modern […] Read more

DLF launches full-floury corn hybrid

DLF launches full-floury corn hybrid

DLF Canada has released its new corn hybrids for 2022 including one of the first leafy full-floury silage hybrids to hit the Canadian market. DLF’s new PS ExPect LFF RR is the only hybrid in its portfolio featuring the leafy full-floury trait, meaning it has 100 per cent floury digestible starch. According to DLF, the […] Read more



An adult western corn rootworm.

The challenge with Bt

Insects are developing resistance to the formerly bulletproof building block of corn hybrid traits

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering a ban on some Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn and cotton hybrid traits in an effort to slow the proliferation of resistant pests. In Canada, where the number of control options is limited, this move might be a cause for concern. Why it matters: Tools to control […] Read more

Corn matured late on many Ontario farmers in 2019.

Making the corn switch decision

Those who switched hybrids during 2019’s late planting season generally had more success

The 2019 planting season forced farmers to make more complex corn seed and planting timing decisions than they have in years. A wet and cool spring kept many farmers in Ontario out of fields until June and in some cases, for risk takers, July. Farmers who planted shorter-season corn hybrids generally made the right choice […] Read more

Dave Hooker talks about mycotoxins in corn at the Bayer Dead Weeds tour.

Managing corn mycotoxins needs scouting, hybrid choice

Farmer can reduce risk of mycotoxins, including through insect and spore management

Generally dry conditions have reduced the threat of mycotoxins in corn this year, although rains during humid days could change that as corn moves to tasselling and silking. However, Dave Hooker, of the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown College, says that historical monitoring of mycotoxin levels by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs […] Read more


Geoff, left, and Mike Strang modified a new planter to plant two different hybrids of corn in one planting pass.

Bringing high-tech down to earth

These Exeter-area brothers have embraced multi-hybrid planting — but so far results are mixed

When farmers Mike and Geoff Strang went looking for a new planter, they weren’t content with buying the latest technology off the shelf. They took their new Kinze 3600Tr planter home and modified it so they can now sow two different corn hybrids at variable rates according to varying soil conditions and yield potential. The […] Read more

Hydraulic drives were home built.

A multi-hybrid planter rebuild

How do you take a split hybrid, twin row planter and make it plant dual hybrids one in the front planter row and one in the back? It takes ingenuity, mechanical know-how and some help from eBay. Mike and Geoff Strang, who farm near Exeter, wanted their new Kinze 3600TR planter to plant two corn […] Read more