Stine® HP Corn® has many benefits, most of which can be directly attributed to outstanding genetics. Through Stine’s corn breeding program, we’re able to create genetically unique inbreds to custom build HP Corn hybrids ideally suited for high-population, narrow-row planting.
Stine HP Corn hybrids are bred for high-stress situations. One characteristic is the plant structure. Shorter plants give HP Corn the advantage of standability and make them more wind resistant. With less biomass, they also leave behind less debris and make more efficient use of nutrients and water. The leaves grow upright versus the typical horizontal pattern, which allows them to capture more sunlight and make room for more plants, sometimes upwards of 10,000–12,000 per acre when planted in narrow rows.
One area we’re really seeing great success from in Wisconsin and Minnesota is the advantage of HP Corn for silage. In particular, the increase in total digestible nutrients (TDNs). With shorter plants that are built to withstand increased pressures, there’s a lot less lignin, a non-digestible element of the corn plant. With more plants, you also get more ears per acre, which is where most of the TDN comes from. Stalks are typically used as more of a filler for silage. The higher the TDN, the more milk per ton is generated for milk production.
In 2016, we had a grower win the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association Corn Yield Contest with Stine 9538-20 brand corn, one of our HP Corn numbers. The grower boosted the population to 45,000 plants per acre and had originally planned to use the field for silage. But, after running through the field and seeing the yield checks, he turned it into a row crop instead. He won the whole state with 303 bushels per acre. Another HP Corn product I’ve seen really perform in my region is Stine 9316-20, which feature both glyphosate and glufosinate tolerance and works well on all soil types, including for silage and row crop.
We look forward to seeing results from HP Corn this harvest season. For questions about Stine’s lineup of HP Corn for 2019 and how high-population, narrow-row corn can work for your operation, please contact your local Stine sales rep.