The 2024 Ontario corn hybrid DON screening trial results are in and the full report is available on GoCrops.ca. DON screening trials for corn hybrids were initiated by the Ontario Corn Committee (OCC) in 2019 in response to elevated DON levels observed in the 2018 corn crop. The OCC said in a release hybrid selection […] Read more
Tag Archives corn hybrids
2024 Ontario corn hybrid DON screening trial report now available
Scientists identify gene that could lead to resilient ‘pixie’ corn
A common gene in plants has been recently identified as a key transporter of a hormone that influences the size of corn.
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 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
DLF Pickseed Canada introduces new corn hybrids in wide maturities
DLF Pickseed Canada is releasing two new corn hybrids for 2021, which fit at either end of the maturity spectrum. A new 2100 heat unit hybrid won’t find as much usage in Ontario, but there’s also a new 99 day relative maturity hybrid that will, says Sylvia Megens, manager of product development with DLF Pickseed […] Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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