The line from the classic musical “Oklahoma” that refers to corn being “as high as an elephant’s eye” would not apply to some new hybrids. Reduced-stature corn, also referred to as “short” corn, is a concept researchers at Auburn University are looking at to determine if there’s a fit on Alabama farms.
While reducing plant height has been an important innovation in other crops, such as wheat and rice, it has not been successfully deployed in corn. The need to boost corn yields but also increase resilience against severe weather has brought renewed focus.
“Short corn is a type of corn plant that is 2 feet to 3 feet shorter than conventional corn,” says Eros Francisco, Extension agronomist at Auburn University’s Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences. “It brings some definite advantages to growers, such as increased protection from lodging and greater application flexibility, as in the possibility to perform ground-spraying applications later than conventional corn, which can contribute to higher potential yield.”
A Result Of Natural Breeding
The hybrids are a result of natural breeding and may present a lower demand for water and nutrients. The short-stature corn plant is like a conventional plant in the number of leaves, nodes and ears produced, Francisco says. The only difference is height.
“The internodes produced below the ear height are shorter than normal, but the internodes produced above the ear are the same as on conventional corn,” he says. “Research and commercial field data from the Midwest, where short corn is more widely grown, have demonstrated similar yield potential with these hybrids.”
Short corn requires a higher seeding rate, between 38,000 to 44,000 seeds per acre, since plants are smaller in size and do not occupy as much space as conventional plants. Harvesting is another piece of the puzzle to be considered.
Francisco says when corn is grown in a low- to medium-fertility soil or when it faces drought conditions, the short corn ears may end up lower and closer to the ground, complicating combine head pick up.
Overall, he says these hybrids show tremendous promise in their ability to yield well and tolerate higher plant populations and narrower rows. However, many physiological and management questions remain and will continue to be investigated by researchers.
Several companies have begun introducing short-stature corn hybrids, including Bayer’s Preceon Smart Corn System, which is currently being grown on three units of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station.
Important Cash And Rotation Crop
“Field corn is an important crop for Alabama growers because it is used in cattle and poultry feed, both large sectors of the state’s ag economy,” Francisco says. “Corn also fits very well into our cropping systems as a good option for a summer cash crop alternating with soybean and winter wheat. In addition, it has been a good rotational crop for cotton producers fighting nematode problems.” CS