Evaluation of DEKALB® Brand Corn Products in the South

TRIAL OBJECTIVE

• Each season the Bayer Crop Science Learning Center at Scott, Mississippi evaluates market leading DEKALB^® brand corn products for adaptability to the Southern corn growing region.
• These experiments are conducted on different alluvial delta soil types. The Buckshot site is heavy clay and the Highway site is deep sandy soil.
• Yield potential and plant characteristics (height, ear size) are important factors to consider when choosing a corn product for each operation.

RESEARCH SITE DETAILS

• All field work, tillage, and herbicides were conducted per local standards.
• 250 lb nitrogen was applied to both experiments as liquid 30-0-0-2.5.

• The trial used non-replicated strip plots.
• Plot Sizes:
  • Buckshot Field: six-row plots, each 600 ft long
  • Highway Field: six-row plots, each 360 ft long
• Buckshot and Highway Field yield data was calculated using a commercial combine via whole plot harvest and corrected to 15.5% moisture content.

UNDERSTANDING THE RESULTS

• Trials averaged 92% stand establishment post emergence.
• Buckshot Field (heavy clay)
  • Average yields were good in this environment with an average of 158 bu/acre across the study. The highest average yield in this environment for 2024 was 175 bu/acre (Figure 1).
  • Yields in 2024 were lower than yields in 2023 in many Learning Center fields and experiments, primarily in studies planted on heavier land. This was likely related to heavy rainfall events and the associated agronomic characteristics during the early season.
• Highway Field (deep sand)
  • Average yields at Highway Field were greater than at Buckshot Field, with an average of 252 bu/acre at Highway Field. For 2024, the highest average yields in this environment reached 265 bu/acre, with 10 of 16 products demonstrating yields greater than or equal to 250 bu/acre (Figure 1).

KEY LEARNINGS

• The results of this trial demonstrated that DEKALB^® brand offers a robust lineup of corn products suiting the diverse soil types of the Mississippi Delta, including heavy clay.
• Several of the newer products demonstrated outstanding yield potential while older products, such as DEKALB^® brand DKC65-99, remained solid performers in both environments.
• Growers should consider their personal preferences and the yield potential of corn products in combination with the plant characteristics measured here when choosing corn products for the 2025 growing season.
• Please contact your local DEKALB^® brand representative for more information.