Don’t hit the panic button yet, we still have plenty of time. As Kirk discussed in his article last week, we still have 7 weeks until the end of May, which leaves us plenty of time to get the crop in. Growing hybrids that range in both maturity and flowering date is one of the easiest ways growers manage yield risks associated with water stress at flowering and early frost at harvest. 

If planting gets delayed due to weather and soil conditions, growers may need to consider switching hybrids, however, making any decisions can wait until late May. In areas growing < 2700 CHU corn, May 20th can be a rough guideline for switching to a shorter season hybrid. As you move into 2700-3000 CHU areas, May 25th might be the date when you start to look at changing, and June 1st for areas growing greater than 3000 CHU corn. Again, these are very general guidelines and other factors need to be considered, such as yield potential, test weight concerns, harvest and drying costs.

Contact your Maizex representative if you have any questions or concerns regarding changes to your cropping plan.

Laura Johnston, CCA-ON, Maizex Seeds Yield Specialist, West Elgin County
Twitter: @lmjohnston8