DECEMBER 2018 SEEDWORLD.COM / 143 EXCERPTS FROM THIS ISSUE PHASES OF THE HYBRID CORN GROWING INDUSTRY Reported on from the 22nd annual Hybrid Corn Industry-Research Conference Chicago, Ill. December 1967 “While most corn growers are capturing just about all the light radiation it is possible to capture, they must also make full use of as much water from rain as possible, particularly if they are not in irrigated areas, in order to have good corn yields. And if you want better yields than you are getting with the good seed and the good growing practices that you are following, you will have to find different genetic stock from that which you are now using.” Doyle B. Peters, University of Illinois “When row spacing is 20 inches or less, the farmer is com- mitted to putting fertilizer on freely. Frequent cultivation is also advantageous when the soil is crusted, so you have to have row spacing that can be cultivated.” Harvey Thompson, extension agronomist, Iowa State University “Highest corn yield reported was 195 bushels per acre with 220 pounds of nitrogen. A 22,000-25,000 plant level per acre gave the best yields.” Lorin Jump, assistant manager of research, Funk Bros. Seed Co. “As you narrow your rows, you increase the amount of row area and that is where you have your worst problem with weeds. Weed control then becomes more important because as you go to narrow corn you can only raise a certain amount of dry matter I an area and if it goes to weeds, the corn crop will be less.” E.L. Knake, associate professor of weed extension, University of Illinois “Diseases are one of the factors that cut down corn yields and can cut the entire production of the corn crop. If hybrids susceptible to disease are put into production, the danger of diseased crops is quite likely — so select hybrids with resistance to disease.” A.L. Hooker, professor of plant pathology University of Illinois “One way to get uniform competition among corn plants is to get uniform emergence, because plants that emerge from the ground uniformly have a tendency to grow and yield uniformly. Germination of inbreds is usually not as high as in hybrids and the use of hormones will often improve the plant establishment.” A.W. Pauli, Deere & Company “I have coated seed with various substances. These coat- ings were applied about six weeks before the seed was planted and the seed treatment was applied after the seeds were coated. Coatings did not reduce stands.” L.F. Bauman, Purdue University. SW