Show V ARM arr JL ones CORN HYBRIDS DEPLETE SOIL high fertility necessary f for or good results by PROF PRO FALLANG A L LANG Illi aois agricultural station urbana illinois whether hybrid corn succeeds or fails in its job of producing bumper yields depends largely on the lands fertility level and the effectiveness of the individual farmers soil management program tests on soils varying in productivity and under different systems of soil management revealed that some of the better hybrids are more responsive to good soil and good soil management and more sensitive to poor soil and poor soil management than most of the open pollinated varieties of corn whether hybrids take up more plant food or use what they take up more efficiently than open pollinated varieties has not yet been determined the danger to future soil productivity lies in hybrids capacity to produce more bushels per acre when grown on naturally fertile soils if farmers take advantage of the superiority of hybrid corn on good soil without recognizing the dangers involved from a more rapid depletion of available plant food their soil will not be in condition to express hybrid superiority for long on the other hand band if hybrid superiority perio rity on good soil is used to stimulate more and better soil enrichment practices then there is an opportunity port unity to go beyond what has already been accomplished the farmer who follows good soil practices and has his soil tested to determine needs for limestone phosphates and potash will cash in profitably when he plants hybrid seed corn |