The all-time record corn yield is 542 bushels per acre. With last year’s average yield nationwide of 177 bushels per acre, there is opportunity for growth. University of Illinois Professor of Plant Physiology Dr. Fred Below is advocating next-level management for high yield corn. “The plant has to sense a certain amount of nutrients right from the beginning and those key nutrients seem to be nitrogen and phosphorus,” Below told RRFN. “Those nutrients set the growth trajectory; it’s like taking a dimmer switch in yield potential and turning it all the way up.” Looking forward, Below is seeing a trend toward higher plant populations. Below was featured at the West Central LIFT Summit in Fargo.
