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Folks, this information is the key for this time of the year and I wanted to share it with you.

"Widely Variable"

That's the best way I know to describe the 2009 corn crop. We have corn in the pollination stages and we have corn that was just planted recently. I guess the best thing to hope for is that the crop is diverse enough to hit good growing conditions somewhere along the way. Management will be critical to maximize yield potential for this crop.

Mid Season N Applications

Mid season N application is a great way to enhance yield potential of our corn crop. At tassel, corn has used 50percent of the total N. That means there is still a chance to influence yield at this time. Irrigated corn that has 200+ bushel yield potential will need a total of 240 units of N. Generally we try to get 200 units out by "sidedress" time and then add another 40 units at tassel. Keep in mind that some of the preplant N was lost. Many growers accounted for that by increasing their sidedress N amounts. The best sources for mid season N are urea or a combination of urea and ammonium sulfate. DO NOT USE Agrotain at this time. It may cause significant leaf burn. Irrigate or "rain in" the nitrogen application.

Fungicide Application

Most companies agree that the timing for the best yield gain on fungicides is at tassel. If it weren't for the threat of Southern Rust, I would agree. Southern Rust generally comes in a little later. It is generally after the length of time we can protect our corn with a tassel fungicide application. My preferred timing is purple or brown silk. This gives us more protection longer into the season and should prevent us from having the "respray" for Southern Rust protection.

Irrigation

Water, water, water. From tassel to soft dough, the corn crop is using .35 inches of water per day! That is over 2 inches a week. In this case, pivots will generally run continuously and furrow irrigations need to be more frequent. Don't rely on a 1/2 inch rain to make it thru the week, KEEP ON IRRIGATING.

Non Bt corn Insecticide Application

In the cotton region, only 50percent of our corn can be Bt corn. That leaves the other 50percent susceptible to injury from the European and Southwestern corn borers. SWB is particularly devastating contributing to stalk lodging and reduction in grain yield. We can combat these insects with a properly timed application of Intrepid. Intrepid works well due to the fact that is has 14 to 21 day residual activity on the plant.

The timing of the application should be determined based on moth trap counts in your area. As these trap counts spike up, make the application. This will allow the Intrepid to be on the plant as the larvae hatch and move across the plant surface prior to boring into the plant.

VT3Pro in 2010

VT3Pro is a new trait introduction that offers 2 modes of action control against corn borers. This is a true breakthrough in crop protection technology. It also has excellent protection against corn earworm and fall armyworm. Protection against corn earworm can improve overall ear quality, grain quality and reduce the chance of aflatoxin. The best news is that the EPA will allow the refuge to change from 50 percent to 20 percent!

Pending final approvals, this technology will be available in 2010.

Weather

I think you would have to go back a way in history to find three springs quite like 07, 08 and 09! What a roller coaster ride. An "early planted" crop is now the exception, rather than the rule. These last three planting seasons have been quite challenging.

Replanting

I'm getting more questions lately about replanting corn. If you have water backing out or standing on the bottom of a field, I would suggest replanting these areas to an early hybrid (110-111 RM) when conditions allow. This will help compensate for the time of planting difference. If you are in a situation where you have to replant an entire field, I would replant to a mid or full season hybrid. The mid to full season maturity hybrids will be more "forgiving" for later planting. If you have to plant a field over and you have not used Atrazine, you may want to consider planting soybeans, particularly if we get into late May or early June.

Weed Control

Needless to say, weed control on corn is going to be a challenge this year. Wet field conditions are delaying timely applications of corn herbicides. Roundup Ready 2 corn has a longer window of application, BUT if we wait too long, then we have coverage issues. There are some products that have specific leaf stage application cutoffs. Most "early post" programs can go out as soon as we have a stand of corn. There may be a need to aerially apply if we can dodge the neighboring crops.

Side Dress N Application

Rainy, wet weather is playing havoc on side dress N applications as well. Most of the March planted corn is in the V6 stage. V6 - V8 is the first "rapid growth" stage for corn. This is the stage where kernel rows are set on the ear. Limiting nutrients or moisture at this stage will affect kernel row development. Don’t delay N applications! Get it out at the earliest opportunity during weather breaks. Agrotain will help stabilize the N.

Irrigation

I know this may sound weird right now, but eventually we will have to irrigate our corn. While it is too wet to plant, this may be a good time to lay polypipe. That will be one job out of the way when it finally dries up and planting activity gets back into full swing.

Sounds like 2008 doesn’t it? Only thing we haven’t had, so far, is the flooding that devastated many parts of the south last year. Corn planting last year extended from mid March to mid May. Corn yield potential is good on April and early May planted corn, it just begins to overlap with over crops and compete for resources. Our corn crop last year was “okay” even planted later. I think cool temps in August and multiple hurricanes trimmed our yield potential more than the later planting dates.

Latest and Greatest — VT3PRO

Since the introduction of “YieldGard” over 10 years ago, we have seen an explosion of traits. Roundup Ready (RR), Roundup Ready + YieldGard corn borer (RRYGCB), and Roundup Ready, YGCB and YieldGard corn rootworm (VT3). VT3PRO will do more to enhance production for the Southern corn farmer than any trait combination so far! VT3PRO combines all three traits - RR, YGCB, YGCRW. The uniqueness of VT3PRO is that it utilizes 2 Bt events for corn borer protection. This will allow us to go from a 50/50 refuge to an 80/20 refuge requirement in the Southern cotton growing regions. This is fantastic!

VT3PRO Availability in 2010

Belle Southern Hybrids will offer VT3PRO versions of Belle 1545, Belle 1646 and Belle 1655 in 2010. If you have not planted these hybrids, you may want to try them on your farm this year (VT3 version) and see how these hybrids perform for you. That way you will be able to make a smooth transition to the PRO versions in 2010. We will also be producing seed of 3 new hybrids with VT3PRO. You will be able to see these hybrids in our Belle Commercial Strip Trials across the sales area this summer.

Consistency is the Key

Consistent hybrid performance – year to year – is the key. Race horses can be a flash in the pan while work horses never reach their full potential. Look for multiyear consistency in your hybrid choices. Here are the 2 year averages for Belle 1545RY (I would show 3 yr data, but there are no competitive checks!)

U of A (2 YR): [Belle 1545RY 212] [Pioneer 33M57 212] [Pioneer 33N58 212]

Always follow grain marketing and IRM requirements and pesticide label directions. B.t. traited products may not be registered in all states. Check with your seed representative for registration status in your area. Acceleron™, Acceleron and Design™, Genuity™, Genuity and Design™, Genuity Icons, Processor Preferred and Design®, Roundup®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup Ready 2 Technology and Design™, VT Triple PRO™, YieldGard®, YieldGard VT and Design®, YieldGard VT Rootworm/RR2®, and YieldGard VT Triple® are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. Respect the Refuge and Corn Design® is a registered trademark of National Corn Growers Association. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2009 Monsanto Company. Belle™ and Southern to the Cob™ is a trademark of Cullum Seeds, LLC.