Crops: Corn
Mississippi corn growers planted an estimated 720,000 acres of corn and produced an estimated 143 bushels per acre yield level and 100.1 million bushels in 2008. This was the second largest corn crop in Mississippi history.
Mississippi
experienced fluctuating environmental conditions during the corn growing
season. Frequent rainfall, floodwater and seep-water during the spring
delayed planting, caused stand failure and delayed herbicide and nitrogen
applications. These conditions generally inhibited corn root growth and
plant health. Thus, when summer arrived in early June and dry weather prevailed
through late-July, the corn crop suffered considerable drought stress,
unless irrigation was available.
Extraordinarily abundant rainfall generally fell during August and early September. Therefore, corn harvest was delayed considerably and farmers experienced more harvest loss and lower grain quality than normal. Despite these difficulties, statewide dryland yields were slightly better than the last few years, but irrigated yields were about 10% lower than last year.
Mississippi growers have grown about 540,000 acres of corn and produced 132 bushels per acre or 71 million bushels over the last five years. In fact, corn yields have more than doubled in the past 20 years and are increasing faster than any other crop grown in Mississippi.
Corn acreage should be sustained in Mississippi due to many significant agronomic benefits it produces in rotation systems and advantages of the regional corn market.
Corn grown in crop rotation significantly increases productivity of all crops in the long run. Reports consistently indicate 10-25% yield advantages for cotton or soybeans grown in rotation with corn on Mississippi farms.
Crop rotations normally improve yields because many weed, insect, nematode and disease problems build up when using the same management program every year in continuous cropping.
Crop rotation systems effectively disrupt many of these cumulative effects, preventing problems and reducing input costs.
Crop rotation allows the producer to attack the predominant weed problems by altering tillage systems, changing herbicide chemistry, and disrupting weed life cycles.
Corn rotations can also improve soil physical structure by recycling more organic matter and changing from a tap-rooted crop to a fibrous root system.
Numerous other beneficial effects of rotation have been reported, including improvements in soil fertility, soil moisture, soil microbes, and phytotoxic compounds and/or growth promoting substances originating from crop residues. Growers can maintain these benefits by continuing to rotate crops on a yearly basis. A crop rotation system also spreads risk in case of unpredictable problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What
are some management
tips for hurricane-damaged corn fields?
What are some good corn hybrids for grain?
Can corn survive flooded or saturated conditions?
How does nitrogen loss occur during wet,
saturated conditions?
Is starter fertilizer advantageous to corn?
What are the refuge requirements for YieldGard
Bt corn?
Should I plant Bt corn?
When is the optimum time to plant corn?
How deep should I plant corn seed?
Scheduling split applications of nitrogen
How can corn be used to reduce gas prices?
What does Roundup/Touchdown injury look like?
How does Roundup "purpling" differ from P deficiency?
How much yield loss should I expect from hail
damage?
When do corn borers reduce corn grain yield?
Should I be concerned about corn borers?
What is causing silvery-colored areas on the
leaves?
When should irrigation of corn be terminated?
What does the "milk-line" look like?
What is the black layer and why is it important?
How can I estimate corn yield?
How can I reduce aflatoxin level during harvest?
What level of aflatoxin is harmful?
What should I do about Common rust?
Will center-pivot irrigation hurt pollination?
Why is my young corn falling down?
When should I begin irrigating corn?
Why is my young corn stunted and purple?
Publications
MSUcares
Corn publications
IS864 Corn Fertilization
IS1563 Minimizing Aflatoxin
in Corn
IS1547Corn Hybrid Selection
IS1548 Corn Plant Population
IS866 Corn Planting Dates
P2471 Insect Control Guide for Corn, Cotton, and
Soybeans 2008
P475 Corn Weed Control Recommendations
Other Corn Information
Facts
About Ethanol
Delta
Research and Extension Center Weather/GIS Center
Diseases
of Corn
Weeds in Corn
"CornCam"
- Watch a field of Iowa corn grow
National Corn Growers Association Home
Page
Purdue University "Corn Growers
Guidebook"
"How a Corn
Plant Develops" - publication from Iowa State University
High Oil Corn Production
and Marketing Guide - Ohio State University
Council for Biotechnology
Information
Transgenic
Crops Resource Guide-Colorado State
University
of Arkansas Variety Tests
Managing
Corn and Grain Sorghum Insect Pests (LSU)
AgriGold Seed
Belle Southern Hybrids
Croplan
Genetics
Crows Hybrids
DEKALB
and Asgrow Genetics
Dyna
Gro Seed
NK Seed
Company.
Pioneer Hi-Bred Int'l. USA
Terral
Seed Inc.
