If 300-bushel corn sounds good, what if 400-bushel corn were possible? “You have to produce approximately 36 million kernels per acre to achieve 400 bu/A corn,” says Dr. Jim Ladlie, founder and owner of ProfitProAG.

While conventional wisdom focuses on everything from fertilizer to fungicides to achieve higher yields, what if there were more to it than that? “There is more to the story, but first let’s run some numbers to calculate the components of corn yield,” Ladlie says.

Ears per Acre

• 36,000,000 kernels ÷ 1,000 kernels/ear = 36,000 ears/A (36,000,000 kernels ÷ 90,000 kernels/bu = 400 bu)
• 34,000 ears/A ÷ 1,000 kernels/ear = 34,000,000 kernels/A (34,000,000 kernels/A ÷ 90,000 kernels/bu= 378 bu)
• Kernel density & test weight plays a factor

Rows per Ear

• 32,000 ears x 16 x 35 = 17,920,000 kernels ÷ 90,000 kernels/bu = 199 bu/A
• 32,000 ears x 18 x 35 = 20,160,000 kernels ÷ 90,000 kernels/bu = 224 bu/A
• By adding two rows of kernels around per ear (always think in two’s), you gain 25 bu/A

Kernels per row

• 32,000 ears x 18 x 35 = 17,920,000 kernels ÷ 90,000 kernels/bu = 224 bu/A
• 32,000 ears x 18 x 50 = 28,800 kernels ÷ 90,000 kernels/bu = 320 bu/A
• By adding 15 kernels per row, you gain 96 bu/A

Test Weight (weight & density of each kernel)

• 300 bu x 56 lbs/bu (at 15.5% moisture) = 16,800 lbs
• 300 bu x 61 lbs/bu (at 15.5% moisture) = 18,300 lbs ÷ 56 lb/bu (market stand per bushel) = 327 bu/A or+27 bu/A more corn

While today’s corn genetics contain tremendous yield potential, stress from nutrient deficiencies, insects and crop diseases can impact everything from row number to kernels per row. Fortunately, you can take steps to control these controllables. It’s as simple as 1-2-3 with ProfitProAG’s 3-phase “Recipe for Success.”

Get Seedlings Off to a Good Start
Phase 1 starts with proper residue management. You can read more about this starting on page 3.

Phase 2 focuses on taking the right steps at planting. This is the time to protect seeds properly. The right biological seed coating system gets seedlings off to a strong start and enhances plant health. We encourage you to look at ProfitCoat seed coatings available in liquid or dry from ProfitProAG.

We encourage you to look at ProfitCoat seed coatings from ProfitProAG. ProfitCoat is available in a liquid formulation and as a dry planter box. It’s available for all organic and conventional crops from vegetables to row crops. We also have inoculants for legumes. In trials, ProfitCoat increased top growth and root growth by 40% at 12 days of seedling growth and increased yields from 8 up to 25 bu/A in corn and up to 16 bu/A in soybeans.