What really makes yield per acre? It’s not plant population—that’s merely one component. It’s actually the number of ears, and how much corn each ear produces—ultimately bushels per ear. Yield can vary by 6 bu. to 12 bu. per acre per thousand ears. Another way to think about yield is that the genetic potential of a bag of seed might be 500 bu. per acre. That potential can’t be increased, but it can be, and is, reduced by everything that happens—every decision a farmer makes—between planting and harvest. This series, featuring insights from Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie, will help farmers manage a crop every step of the way from seed selection (for each soil type) through harvest. That requires getting the number of ears per acre needed to reach a yield goal and managing them through the season to maximize bushels per ear.  

Feed Your Yield Engine
Similar to miles per gallon, bushels per ear make yield

Seven Steps to a Perfect Stand
A perfect stand sets the stage for more bushels per ear

Check back for future stories on the following topics:

• What does a good stand look like? (November)
• How to evaluate the quality of a stand. (December)
• On-the-go seedbed improvements. (January)
• Saving a stand in trouble. (February)
• End-of-season stand evaluation. (March)