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Show Utah Farmers Tell How To Increase Corn Silage Yields By Justin Scharff Although top yield potential can be bred into a corn silage variety, its actual tonnage, under commercial growing conditions, depends largely on what the farmer does - both before and after planting the seed. This is one conclusion of an extensive survey recently completed com-pleted in Utah by Germain's, Inc., a 100 year old western seed firm. Utah corn silage growers recognized for consistently obtaining ob-taining high yields in different growing locales were polled to learn the key to their success. Lewis Patterson, a Roy area farmer, has been growing corn silage for almost half a century. cen-tury. "Selecting the right variety varie-ty for your growing conditions," condi-tions," he says, "is the key to big yields." Patterson is familiar with big yields. Over the years he has averaged 30 tons per acre compared com-pared to the state average of about 18 tons per acre. Patterson targets for a final plant stand of 21,000 plants per acre. He is switching to 30 inch rows from 32 inch rows "because of a new chopper that operates better at the narrower width." While favoring varieties that have "big ears, leafy plants HI f fOm. I yjl 1 ij i FH?CliG-577 FOB SILAGE Full season G-5757 is a proven favorite! Produces dependable, high tonnage yields of quality silage with high grain content. The No. 1 top yielder in last year's University Univer-sity of Idaho Trials at Caldwell with 27.9 TV Acre corrected to 30 Dry Matter and first with 5.4 tons of TDNAcre. It has excellent stalk quality, likes crowding and takes off fast under cool conditions. Plant G-5757, an outstanding hybrid! PIECES G-4343 QBMS Medium-late maturing G-4343 has an outstanding performance record. Slightly earlier than G-4444 with an exceptionally fast dry-down. Yielded 9.454 Lbs.Acre at 15.5 Moisture in 1975 Trial. Plant G-4343 for profit-making, high-yield capacity! G-4141 The early maturing hot new Single Cross that yields like a full season variety, but one of the first to harvest. Uniform in plant and ear height, firm cob, long ears of quality grain. A reliable performer. Plant G-4141 ! Ill Vii.H.M FUMK SUDS INUBM tlONM . INC ln1njt.tnIHftyur1m Bloominglofi. llinon6l'Ql The limiUlion W wautnl on ine itt nmnro iu lunri GHbt.d Mid ' (tint 01 mi HffQi and good standability," Patterson Patter-son considers height is of less importance. "There's not much weight up in the tassels," he says. He applies light applications of herbicides each year rather than an excess in a single year which "might damage growth." Harvesting takes about four weeks so Patterson tries to start around August 26 in order to "get the entire crop off before frost." . John Larkin grows 300 acres of corn silage near Brigham City for direct feeding to his cattle. His planting of Funk's G-4567 last season "stood well, was extremely leafy and had good grain content." His scheduled planting date of April 20 to 25 was delayed until May 5 because of bad weather. Larkin prefers harvesting when the kernels are well dented dent-ed but "when you harvest 300 acres you have to start earlier than at the ideal maturity." Soil differences provide Larkin Lar-kin with a built-in harvesting schedule. "Some of our land is sandy, some is heavy," he explains. ex-plains. "The corn in the sandy soil can be planted earlier, it matures earlier and can be harvested har-vested earlier." Larkins prefers a plant population popu-lation of from 25,000 to 30,000 ! ! j U M y 1 1; 11 1 s a1 i i T1T1 See fy and irmtdT ) nth hrtf ol I - 81 ,n Washington Utah plants on 28 inch rows. During the growing season he flood irrigates about every ten days. He applies lots of manure which is readily available from his feedlot. Cardell Nielsen who manages the feed yard and farming operation of E.A. Miller and Sons at Hyrum, averaged 27 tons of silage per acre last season on 390 acres. Nielsen applies barnyard manure in the fall and winter and commercial fertilizer is plowed under in the fall. He irrigates by pumping water into in-to eight inch gated pipes. Small gates in the pipes open to allow a gentle flow of water into each row. "This method soaks the ground without causing any erosion," er-osion," says Nielsen, "and has contributed very much to increased in-creased yields." Spider mites have not been a serious problem here but Nielsen Niel-sen has applied a control for corn root worm for the past fout years approximately one month before harvesting. Ivan Cowley has farmed in the Richfield area for almost 20 years. He grows 100 acres of corn silage and buys an additional addi-tional 400 acres of the crop for his feed lot cattle. Over the years his yields have averaged from 22 to 25 tons including a top yield of 35 flt life. P i 1 1 : 1 W H f I ! J-k'i Your Dealer ERMAMSAnc. Since 1871 Idaho Fresno, California FARM SUPPLEMENT tons per acre. While admitting that variety selection is important impor-tant Cowley claims that "the weather is very likely the major determinant in the final harvest." Cowley plows 30 tons of barnyard barn-yard manure per acre into the soil. He then works the ground and irrigates. After the ground has dried Cowley works up a shallow seed bed and plants. "This procedure," he claims, "allows time for the soil temperature tem-perature to get high enough to germinate the seeds. "If we irrigate after planting and then have a cold spell," Cowley continued, "germination "germina-tion falls off. The ground temperature tem-perature is just too cold." Cowley rotates three crops -alfalfa, then two years of corn followed by two years of barley and then back to alfalfa. He hopes to move his planting date from mid-May to about April 25. "Corn can stand a frost early in the season better than at harvest time." Connard Stanworth, a Delta area farmer, tests varieties for two years before going to large-scale planting. "Varieties for our fields," he claims, "must have tolerance for soils with a high salt content." Stanworth emphasizes thorough thor-ough ground preparation because "you just can't throw seed on the ground and expect it to grow." He prepares the ground in the fall, applies barnyard barn-yard manure in the fall and winter and adds nitrogen in the spring. He schedules planting for May 1 and irrigates immediately imme-diately afterwards. In early August a control for spider mites is applied. Stanworth selects varieties that dry down well, don't seep in the pit and have good cob growth - "grain is more important impor-tant than stalks." He considers the alfalfa, barley and corn silage that he grows "a complete com-plete feeding program for our dairy cows." Reid Gale of Riverton considers consid-ers variety selection extremely important because "some varieties var-ieties have too long a growing li eI is a natural... if zzzh on Milk has a way with foods. Try a refreshing cold glass with your meal and see. Milk is a natural. UTAH DAIRY COMMISSION THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1976 season and won't mature by harvest time." "Move your equipment over the ground as few times as possible," Gale warns, "to prevent tight packing of the soil." He prefers fertilizing in fall and preparing the ground in spring. "Make sure your planters are in top shape," he says. "If just one planter is not functioning properly, yield will suffer." Gale uses a preplant control to combat corn root worms and may spray during the season if required for additional control. The Utah corn growers interviewed inter-viewed admitted that weather was still largely unpredictable and a major problem. "One answer to this," said Nate Johnson, research agronomist for Germain's, "is to select varieties that have the proper maturity for your growing conditions. con-ditions. "For a relatively short growing grow-ing season," Johnson explained, ex-plained, "G-4567 has proven very successful. But for longer growing seasons," he continued, contin-ued, "G-5757, a top yielding silage variety possessing high grain content, has excellent adaptability to a wide range of growing conditions." "Did you give your wife that lecture on economy you talked about?" "Yes." "Any results?" "I've got to give up smoking." So says the iL. kyHTAlK.y " .. IT'LL NEVER PASS INSPECTION FOR k VA GUARANTEED LOAN" For infornultnn. conUvi tht nrami VA office 4 check tour phone booh) or wntr Veteran 4d mi nutrition. 232X IO Vermont A NW Wthintin DC 20420 tli2 ga! nousfL1 j4 eft v |