Welcome to APEX Genetics

THE POPULATION FACTOR

PLANT POPULATIONS INCREASE TO FEED OUR GROWING HUMAN POPULATION. Feeding an ever-increasing human population would certainly be an important topic for agriculturists to consider and discuss. After all, in an approximate timeframe of nine years the global human population grew nearly 700 million, from six billion, to 6.7 billion. From a seed company perspective, however, the “population” we’ll focus on in this article deals more with how to help feed this increasing throng. We’re talking about increasing corn plants per acre. Yes, plant populations! The theory, as some would suggest, of increasing yields through more plant population, is more proven fact. For many, many years, population trials have been conducted, and with little evidence to suggest otherwise, more plants per acre translate to higher yields.

NEW HYBRID PROTOTYPES. The convergence of technologies, plant genetics and breeding, GMO traits, and even planting equipment really makes this a more solid possibility than even twelve or fifteen years ago. Today, we have more suitable germplasm that can handle higher populations, while maintaining root and stalk strength and plant health. Corn breeders have been selecting for the new “harvestable yield” prototype of determinate ear types and stable agronomics, even under high population stress. The result is the increased ability of the plant to maintain stalk and root integrity and overall plant health, while pushing the yield curve upward to new heights.

HIGHER HARVESTABLE YIELDS. APEX Genetics is also featuring, in increasing numbers, these new hybrid prototypes. We saw the influence of these products in helping create some of the highest plot yield averages in history, this year. We saw yields as high as 313 bushels per acre and averages over all plots in all areas eclipse 220 bushels per acre. Certainly, this is the level of yield gain that we’ll need to see to support our farming operations with increased input costs, but also to feed a growing population.

DOING THE MATH. By now, we’ve heard university and industry estimates that increasing plant populations by an additional 2,000 to 3,000 is one of the first steps to increase yields. Many growers are still using populations when non-GMO were still the norm, or when single trait hybrids were just entering the market. Not only do we now have multi-stacked traits, but newer, more stable genetics, as well. Iowa State University is touting increasing up to 36,000 plants per acre to hit peak yields. To put this into a more personal application, if populations were increased by 2,000 plants per acre, yields could increase by 12 to 14 bushels per acre, just based on that alone. That translates to an additional $48 to $56 per acre income, which more than justifies the additional seed costs. It helps to think in terms of “bushels per thousand”. If today’s hybrids are averaging 7 bushels per thousand plants, then we can use that as a guideline to plan accordingly. continued…