TOP YIELD FOR CORN
Yaranbrook Farms pleased with double cropping
AN INGLEWOOD producer’s need for additional silage for a beef feedlot led to an experiment to double crop corn into a paddock that had been harvested.
Andrew Clarke from Yaranbrook Farms at Inglewood initially planted 170 hectares of corn in the spring, and decided to double-crop 20ha after the first harvest for more tonnage for the feedlot.
“We took a punt with the second crop to get another 1000 tonnes,” Mr Clarke said.
The initial crop was made up of the Pioneer hybrid P1813-IT and was forced to contend with severe heat at different stages from October through until January.
The 20ha strip that was double-planted initially yielded 56 wet tonnes per hectare and the paddock actually performed better in the second plant without the heat.
Mr Clarke said the second crop, which was Pioneer hybrid P1467, produced an average yield of 59.3 tonnes per ha in a “very pleasing” result.
“Everyone I’ve talked to is just amazed at the result,” he said.
“If I had another dry year I’d be tempted to do it again.”
The first crop was planted at the end of September and harvested in the last week of January, with the second crop planted shortly afterwards.
“We chopped the paddock on the Tuesday and I was applying pre-emergent herbicide on the Friday,” Mr Clarke said.
The concern with the late plant was the risk of frost and the crop did survive some cold conditions towards the end. It was harvested for silage on June 18.
In future years the plan is to sow corn earlier in the spring when the weather conditions are warming up.
This could be as soon as mid-August and would allow the crop to be harvested early in the new year and provide the chance for another crop.
That timing would also reduce the risk of heat at tasselling for the early crop and frost for the later crop.
“By sowing in early January there is less risk of frost,” Mr Clarke said.
Mr Clarke said the dry conditions meant the 12,000-head beef feedlot was at full capacity and so the additional corn silage was needed.
The cattle are fed on a high silage ration, with corn taking a leading role in preparing the stock for market.