b'Here, experts from across the industry will discuss issues that are top of mind, share technical advancements, talk about tips for success and provide perspective on policy.AGRONOMY SOLUTIONSOptimizing Your Corn CropPerry RossProduct Line Representative for Forages and Corn with Nutrien Ag Solutions in AlbertaCORN USED TO be grown only in southern Alberta and a handful of other places in the province. But thats not the case anymore. Corn can now be found in areas youd never expect, stretching as far north as the Peace River Country. Some growers may only be trying it on a few dozen acres, but as they achieve success with the crop and see their neighbours are too, corn is gaining a lot of converts among Alberta farmers.Whats behind this trend? I think it has a lot to do with the wealth of information thats available today, both online and elsewhere. Its easy for Alberta growers to find dos and donts and learn from others experiences to expand their knowledge about growing corn. Heres an example. A farmer I know near Nanton grew corn for the first time last year and had mixed results. It was asets your crop back, you have the silage market to fall back on. different story this year. Some research on the agronomics ofWhen it comes to selecting seed, growers can consult with growing corn allowed him to get a better handle on what wastheir neighbours and agronomists about what kind of corn required, and the result is a good crop that hes excited about.hybrids have been successful in their area.Of course, the biggest driver for the expanding corn acres inThey can also review trial data such as the Proven Performance our province is the new short-season corn hybrids that are headTrials focusing on corn grain/silage results that Proven Seed has and shoulders above what was available 10 years ago.been running across Alberta for the past few years to see which Thanks to technological advancements in seed, corn is nowhybrids are the highest performers in their region.suitable for many different climates within Alberta.Yield, of course, is always top of mind, but there are other If youre thinking about adding corn to your rotation, theimportant attributes that growers look for in their corn key is selecting the right corn hybrid to maximize your yieldhybrids. These include disease tolerance, early season vigour, potential while at the same time minimizing your risk.standability, grain dry down and the right balance between feed These days, many Alberta growers are choosing dual purposequality (starch level) and yield.hybrids, which are designed to have high yield and qualityAfter determining which hybrids offer the best match for the potential for both silage and grain corn crops.environmental conditions in your area, I recommend planting The primary benefit is flexibility. If its a good seasontwo or three different ones, if you can, and using a corn planter weather-wise and your crop has flourished, you can sell it forif possible for the best results. By selecting a diverse mix of grain, but if growing conditions arent great or an early snowfallhybrids, you will minimize your risk. 34seed.ab.ca'