Dear friend,

If you're a serious corn farmer, you know there are numerous factors of corn farming that ultimately play a role in profitability.

Choosing the right corn hybrid, timely corn planting, strategic corn harvesting, and corn storage for deferred delivery can all affect the eventual corn prices per bushel on the trading floor.

Of course, soil moisture and temperature patterns are environmental circumstances we can't control. But soil fertility, weed control, planting date, foliar fungicides and irrigation are some of the variables we can influence. For the modern agriculturist, these are corn farming basics.

Then there are the forces of nature that occasionally conspire to produce a record corn crop — definitely beyond our control and sometimes beyond our wildest imaginations!

That's what surprised nearly every corn farming professional in 2009. Even the Ag Schools and Extension pros didn't understand it all until recently.

Big yield corn farming recipe includes lots of heavy kernels

No one could have guessed corn farming would yield a near-record harvest in 2009. Yet corn harvesting that summer required extra corn storage space in grain bins on farms and elevator terminals.

"Superb grain fill during pollination depends upon putting as many kernels on each ear as possible, and making those kernels heavy," says Bob Nielsen, a Nebraska native and an Extension corn specialist at Purdue University. "There were exceptions, but by and large, there tended to be more kernels per ear and heavier kernels in most situations in '09."

Corn harvesting that yields more kernels per ear stems primarily from less kernel abortion. A longer grain-fill period tends to be desirable, according to Nielsen. It happened in '09 as record cool July weather throttled back pollination and grain fill.

"The more starch that goes into kernels, the heavier the kernels. The heavier each kernel becomes, the better the odds for higher yields," Nielsen says.

"Every decision that you make influences the size and scope...from the corn hybrid you select to the seeding rate and row width you choose."

The great "test weight" fallacy demystified

How can kernels be heavier if test weights are lower?

Bob Nielsen says this was the most-asked question at winter meetings. And he knows the surprising answer.

Hint: "Test weight is the amount of grain that fits into a standard measure, says Nielsen. "Size and shape of kernel, not just weight, influence how many kernels fit into the cup. Low test weight doesn't always indicate poor quality."

In our special report, Corn Harvesting for Maximum yield: Corn hybrid quality is the key to profitable corn farming, you'll discover:

• How harvesting more kernels per ear results from less kernel abortion

• The little-known relationship between grain fill during pollination and the number of kernels on each ear

• The riddle of how kernels can be heavier even if test weights are lower

• Why low test weight doesn't always indicate poor quality

• How stress at the blister stage often leads to kernel abortion

• What you must know about the longevity of new corn hybrids

• The scientific process by which each new corn hybrid is developed and tested

• The importance of purity, uniformity, disease resistance, plant height, ear height, roots, stalks, and tassel type in the production of breeder's seed

Are you ready to experience the corn harvesting success you've always wanted?

Here is more of what you'll discover in Corn Harvesting for Maximum yield: Corn hybrid quality is the key to profitable corn farming:

• The six-step strategy you must use when selecting a new corn hybrid

• Why you should make every effort to see the hybrid or variety in person during the growing season

• How the USDA can help you predict corn hybrid yield

• How to measure results and analyze yield reports when selecting a corn hybrid

• How to gauge signals from the market and fine tune your marketing plan

• Strategies for predicting the futures and commodities markets

• How to manage surplus stock for maximum profit

• Why a disciplined approach makes good business sense

• How to determine when to take advantage of storage hedge vs. a premium deferred delivery contract

Here's the bottom line: Corn Harvesting for Maximum Yield: Corn hybrid quality is the key to profitable corn farming is a fast-reading report that could put money in your pocket through smarter corn planting and corn harvesting.

It's absolutely free.

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Cordially,

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