Population Optimizer Takes The Guesswork Out Of Planting Rates
JOE BUNCK
LUBBOCK, TEXAS
For the past couple of decades, farmers have been planting corn at higher planting rates to increase yield potential. While modern corn performs at increased plant populations, each corn product has an optimum seeding rate for a particular geography. Farmers must balance planting rate and optimal corn plant population for the best economical return.
So what can farmers do to accurately match planting rates for their Channel products to yield goals?
To help take the guesswork out of planting population decisions, Channel has developed the Channel Population Optimizer tool. Visit Channel.com/PopulationOptimizer for localized optimum planting population information to ensure the performance and profitability potential for your operation.
The Channel Population Optimizer allows farmers to tap into local product performance and planting-rate data and factor in commodity price, seed price and yield goal. Then the tool compiles several scenarios with a range of optimum plant populations. Your Channel Seedsman can then recommend a planting rate to target your desired plant population.
Often the relationship between planting rate and plant population is misunderstood. Plant population is a measurement of plants per acre at harvest. Planting rate is the amount of seed needed to achieve the desired harvest-time plant population. Calculate planting rate by dividing desired plant population by seed germination and expected plant survival. The product tag on each bag of Channel seed provides the needed information to determine an optimum planting rate. You can also consult Channel.com/SeedFinder to find recommended rates for Channel products.
Defining the optimum planting rate threshold for each corn product in your cropping plan is challenging. Use the recommendations from the Population Optimizer and work with your Channel Seedsman to maximize both the performance and economic yield potential of your Channel products. Visit Channel.com/FindYourSeedsman to locate a Channel Seedsman in your area. ∆
JOE BUNCK: Channel Technical Agronomist