The best planting rate for your situation depends on soil type, fertility and your yield goal.
Over the past five years, in both on-farm agronomic strip trials and Wyffels replicated research sites, hybrids were tested at populations ranging from 18,000 to 57,000 plants per acre (ppa).
Across nearly 2,000 comparisons of over 60 hybrids, 2015-2019, maximum yield was shown to be achieved at a planting rate of 37,400 ppa. As with any management decision, corn growers need more than maximum yield. They need maximum economic return. And that means seed cost and grain price both matter.
Under current economic conditions, the average optimum economic planting rate ranges from 32,000 to 36,000 ppa, depending on your specific grain price and seed cost.
The response to planting rate does vary by environment and should be based on the fertility and yield goal of each specific field. The chart below illustrates the optimum planting rates across different yield levels. Increasing planting rate in more productive fields, or areas of fields, while reducing planting rate in less productive areas, will allow you to maximize both productivity and profit.
