Take Advantage of the Demand for Food Corn Processing
Tap into additional market opportunities for your grain with DEKALB® Yellow Food Grade products. Like all DEKALB products, they’re developed to deliver the high yield potential and performance you’ve come to expect from our leading biotechnology, diverse global germplasm, strong agronomics and superior breeding program.
However, it is important that farmers interested in growing DEKALB Yellow Food Grade products understand the expectations of food corn processors. Special considerations for producers include careful harvesting, drying, handling and storage of grain to ensure delivery of corn with the following qualifying characteristics:
A higher percentage of hard endosperm
Higher test weight
Minimal denting in the crown of kernels
Kernels of uniform size
Kernels free from stress cracks
Clean yellow or pearly white in color
Appropriate taste and texture
Low levels of broken kernels and foreign materials
Low levels of mycotoxins
Dried in low temperatures
Ensure your DEKALB Yellow Food Grade corn meets the requirements of food corn processors by following these best practices:
Food grains can be grown for the open market or under contract to dry mill processors
The contract should be in place prior to planting
Corn does well on a wide variety of soils but performs best on silt loam soils that are well-drained, in good tilth and free from erosion
Seedling populations should range from 30,000 to 38,000 seeds per acre depending on productivity of the soil
Field drying is best; however, the kernels may be machine dried at low temperatures
Quality kernels should be low in stress cracks and have low moisture content
Aeration is necessary to extended storage