Crop yields are a crucial aspect of every farmer’s day because they can affect the profitability of their farmlands. You need to learn how to improve your crop yields so that your farming can be successful. And, access to new planting methods and technologies have helped farmers to increase crop production, which is important if you want to sustain your farm for a long time.
Corn crop yield rates have been increasing over time. This is because there are now agricultural best practices and hardier corn hybrids. You can also find technologies that allow you to best understand your soil, the type of nutrients the crop is lacking, and the right time to plant seeds. All these have improved the corn yields. Simply put, science and technology in agriculture have helped to improve corn yield. This article discusses the agriculture best practices to help you increase corn yield.
The importance of crop yields
The high-performance concept is crucial to understanding the benefits of crop yields. This means you need to know the amount of crop that you can produce within a specific area of land. This can help you to be efficient. Remember that today’s economy requires you to do things efficiently. You need to make sure that you maximize the land and space you have worked to grow crops. Crop yields can determine your efficiency and bottom line.
It’s worth noting that there are some consequences to what you do on your farm. Therefore, if you decide to increase crop yield and crop production, then you need to focus on studying and analyzing your crop. This can mean that there is a chance that your bottom line can be affected when you try to increase efficiency.
The best ways you can increase your corn yields
It’s a good idea to look at crop corn like the ingredients in any recipe, so you can have your seeds, the quality of the soil, and the planting practices that can affect the overall quality of the crops you are cultivating. A crop, such as corn, can benefit from utilizing hybrid seeds that have the capability to maximize yields and withstand weather conditions.
The good thing is that there has been a significant improvement in the science behind seeds, though there are still some methods and techniques you can use to enhance the overall efficiency on your farm. Some of the methods and techniques you can use to increase the corn crop yield include the following:
Plant early
Choosing the right time to plant your corn can be the most crucial part of planting. And, the best strategy to utilize to increase yields is to make sure your soil is ready and start planting.
You should remember that there are various tests you can do on the soil to check if it’s ready to plant your corn. Today’s hybrid seeds can make a more sustainable product, though knowing if the farm is ready for early planting can also be important. You need to plant early so that you can increase yields. Your crop can take advantage of early favorable soil conditions.
Seasonal soil rotation
When you decide to plant each season, you need to know that planting recurring crops may affect your overall yield. And, planting corn each season can be less effective if you desire to have optimal yields. Therefore, you should only consider corn-on-corn planting when you have good soil conditions, or your land area is limited.
But if you don’t have either of this, then you should consider planting alternative crops in the following years or alternating years like soybeans. It’s a good idea to plant an alternating crop so that you can diversify the soil’s demands. This can cause the crops to yield more and continue producing great crops each year.
The yield potential
You can plant your seeds so that there is an optimal harvest, but you should also make sure that you understand the growth potential of your field. Understanding the type of crops you want to plant as well as the type of seeds you are using can help you assess yield potential.
Many crop producers usually have an estimated idea of what to expect from their seeds. You need to understand this so that you can manage your expectations and whether or not the yield potential matches your actual production.
Scout your fields
Perhaps, one of the most important things you can do to increase your crop yield is by walking in your field. This can help you to assess soil conditions and check if there are any weeds growing up. This can also give you the chance to see if your crops are growing well.
You should remember that there are many things that you cannot notice when you are driving by your crop at high speed. Therefore, it makes sense to scout your field by foot and examine your crop.
Proper water drainage
Crop survival tends to depend on water management. This is one of the ways you can maximize the yield potential of your crop. You should make sure that your crop is receiving adequate water, but avoid over-watering the crop.
You can develop a drainage system in your field so that there is no salinization and water logging in the soil. Both of these situations can prevent good crop growth and production.
Use fertilizers
It’s important to add fertilizer to your soil so that you can maintain optimal soil conditions for the corn crop on your farm. You can fertilize the corn when you decide to seed to make sure that the seeds have essential nutrients, such as phosphorus, potassium, and calcium.
You should note that the root-zone located at the crop’s base is considered to be the most important part. This is because this area facilitates growth to ensure your crop can grow well and produce a good yield. The good news is that there are various suppliers of fertilizers on the market. Even better, you can find a variety of brands, so make sure that you purchase the right fertilizer for your corn crop.
