b'A hybrid of about 117 days maturity is10 years, and theyre still grown becausehigher respiration rate, he says. Its 70 typically chosen for the first planting, fol- they do really well in a certain area.to 75F at night here in Mississippi during lowed by a 102- to 114-day hybrid for thePeople are loyal to them. grain fill.second crop, harvested in December. Nick Chammoun, agronomist with CNIChammoun adds that heat and dis-Some growers also double crop soy- Ag based in Leesburg GA, agrees. If youease tolerance are the two biggest drivers bean in the East Texas market, he says.can find a hybrid that fits across multipleof hybrid performance in Georgia.If prices were higher, there would begeographies thats great, he says, butWe typically have very hot and humid more of it. sometimes hybrids are more regionalized. days during pollination, he says. A hybrid that can take that stress tends to Hybrid Choice Has Never BeenHeat After Dark do better. Grain fill is always hot, so better Deeper Due to the long growing season in south- heat tolerance helps keep test weights up In the big picture, Hajovsky says choiceern states, farmers generally chooseand the plant healthier.for southern corn growers has neverhybrids in the 114- to 120-day maturityLarson says corn acreage could grow been better, with multiple herbicide traitrange with high stalk strength to with- in the southern U.S. if irrigation expands, options now one of the biggest selectionstand strong winds prior to harvest. but groundwater availability remains a drivers. Larson notes that hybrids with betterlimiting factor.There are phenomenal hybrids nowtolerance to nighttime heat tend toIn parts of the mid-south, groundwater and unbelievable amounts of hybridsachieve higher yields in the south. is available at reasonable depths. In other being released each year, he says. ButOur nighttime temperatures can beareas, supplies are more constrained, there are also what you could call legacyvery high, and that limits yield potentiallimiting how much irrigated corn can real-hybrids that have been around for six tobecause plant energy is used up in aistically be added.Bart Hajovsky discusses hybrid performance at a field event, highlighting the importance of heat tolerance, disease resistance and regional adaptation in southern corn systems.PHOTO: BH GENETICS38/ SEEDWORLD.COMFEBRUARY 2026'