Corn

Corn is one of the three major field crops in Ontario, with the five year average acres around 2.4 million. It is grown for many uses including grain, silage, and ethanol production. It is well suited to a wide range of soil types and growing conditions across the province of Ontario.

Corn has a high yield potential compared to other field crops, but also relatively high nutrient and management requirements. Achieving consistent yields depends on matching agronomic practices to field conditions, including soil type, drainage, and weather patterns, some of which are of course out of your control.

Management of your corn crop will depend heavily on the intended use. Grain corn, grown for animal feed in the form of kernels and ethanol production, will be treated differently than sweet corn grown for human consumption or silage corn that is chopped entirely and fed to animals.

Successful corn production involves attention to several key areas including: Achieving uniform emergence and plant stands, managing residue (This is especially important in reduced tillage operations), ensuring adequate nutrient availability, and constant monitoring for pests, diseases, and environmental stress. Management decisions made early in the season have a lasting impact on final yield. It is crucial to maintain a clean field from the VE (Vegetative Emergence) stage to the V6 (Six-leaf) stage of corn development.