Broadcasting corn

[*Hawaii5joe*]

Was wondering if anyone knows how many lbs per acre of seed corn would be best. I tried around 20 lbs per acre last year and had poor results, but there are many other factors why it didn't grow good last year.

 

[Freeborn]

Typical bag of corn has 80,000 seeds at around 50 lbs which does 2.5-3 acres. 20 lbs is fine for food plots. Last year was great for planting corn unless you have low ground. What went wrong?

 

[biglakeba$$]

Was the seed any good?
Do you do germination tests?

 

[Riggsgwp->]

I'm not a fan of broadcasting unless you don't have any other option. Getting the seed covered properly is challenging and planting in rows makes things much easier to spray. Not to mention the cost of rr corn these days. These actually work pretty good for small to medium plots. Not ideal but I've had good success with them before I got the bigger equiptment.
http://stcloud.craigslist.org/grd/5008312599.html

 

[j-bird]

I row plant at a rough population of 30 to 35,000 an acre. So the numbers Freeborn lists are accurate from my perspective. Sorry I can't help more I have not broadcast corn before - I just have heard it's tough to do because of all the variables that corn needs to be productive.

 

[bat man]

Don't be afraid to broadcast corn. Get your seed count per acre and square off an area after you broadcast and after you drag count how many seeds are left showing to make sure you have covered enough to get what you want.

I have done it twice and had excellent stands both times.

 

[bwoods11]

I tried broadcasting corn one year with poor results. Depth issues+.....A die hard food plot friend told me that the seed bed may not have been ideal. Loose worked up soil is needed.

Beans on the other hand did well on the same farm.

 

[bat man]

We had a guy broadcast his corn and beans last year and did not cover anything. He got a hard rain and a decent crop of beans but zero corn.

And on the bad seed note I am done getting free seed for plots. The corn I put in last year never dried (maybe too long maturity) and it seems a waste to do all the work and not have viable seed.

 

[*Hawaii5joe*]

Typical bag of corn has 80,000 seeds at around 50 lbs which does 2.5-3 acres. 20 lbs is fine for food plots. Last year was great for planting corn unless you have low ground. What went wrong?

There is no doubt I screwed up the success last year:
I knew I had corn 3 years old and still used it. My fault.
Didn't pack in the seeds after I was done dragging in seeds. My fault.
Sandhills were eating seeds and sprouts every morning I was there. My fault for not shooting.
Low areas were washed out and deer started eating the corn that was growing once it got about 8".

Trying to do about 2 acres.

 

[*Hawaii5joe*]

Was the seed any good?
Do you do germination tests?

I'm pretty sure the seed was the #1 factor.

 

[biglakeba$$]

Germination testing is super easy. I do it on all carry over seed just to be damn sure its good.

 

[Steve Oehlenschlager]

Broadcasting is fine. Disk it in. Plant about 20 pounds per acre. It can work fine. Don't worry about driving over it when spraying it. It will bounce back. Don't skimp on fertilizer and spray twice for best results.

 

[bat man]

Germination testing is super easy. I do it on all carry over seed just to be damn sure its good.

Germ may be great but you need enough growing days for the seed planted or you won't have much luck.

 

[browndog]

I used to drag beans in all the time, biggest key is timely and consistent rain. A few years ago, I got just enough rain to germinate dragged in beans but then it never rained again for quite awhile. Beans had 1/4" root sprouts and then dried up. Dragging seed in leaves the soil too loose and it airs out too much. I went back and row planted the beans about 1 1/2" deep with my JD71 and have been row planting beans ever since. I always had good success with dragged in beans but that one bad year really bothered me.
I planted 2009 and 2010 Pioneer and Dekalb corn seed last year and I would say I had 95% germination. I always had problems with cranes too, Avipel seed treatment takes care of that fairly well. I've been treating all my corn seed for years and it works very good. I always used the dry powder but I am trying the liquid treatment this year.

 

[biglakeba$$]

Germ may be great but you need enough growing days for the seed planted or you won't have much luck.

Agreed. But putting seed in the ground that likely wont even sprout is a whole different issue. May as well know before you spend the time and money to put seed in the ground that wont produce a product to begin with.

 

[Freeborn]

Question on Beans, is it the change in sunlight that triggers the plant to produce pods/seed? Would fertilizer speed up the process of developing Pods?

Batman is correct, in norther climates, no reason to plant seed that doesn't produce late fall winter seed.

 

[bat man]

Germination testing is super easy. I do it on all carry over seed just to be damn sure its good.

I do the germ test as well so i can bump up my seed rate if germ is poor. If you get a low germ rate does this mean the seeds may not have the vigor to make it?

 

[browndog]

Hawaii, I planted a small plot of 2010 and 2012 corn seed with my JD71 about 5 days ago. I did some digging at the seed today and every seed I found was rooted and will be poking through in a few days. I really don't think your 3yr old seed was the issue. My seeds are planted at a depth of 2-2 1/2" deep. I think if you ran a packer over your dragged in seeds, it would help quite a bit.
Edit: and try Avipel. It is approved for Minnesota.

 

[sandbur]

Joe- do you add beans to that broadcast?

 

[*Hawaii5joe*]

Joe- do you add beans to that broadcast?

I haven't Art. I know some guys do