Choosing a corn hybrid usually starts with how you plan to use the crop. Grain growers look for yield potential, standability, reliable maturity and drydown, while livestock producers may put more emphasis on whole-plant yield, starch production and silage quality.
But a lot can change between planting and harvest.
Feed inventories, growing conditions, crop development and market opportunities can all influence how a corn crop is ultimately used. Dual-purpose corn hybrids give growers the flexibility to make that decision later in the season, with the option to harvest for either grain or silage.
What Makes a Good Dual-Purpose Hybrid?
Not every high-yielding grain hybrid makes a good silage hybrid, and not every strong silage hybrid is well suited for grain production.
A true dual-purpose hybrid needs to deliver across both end uses.
For grain production, growers need competitive yield potential along with reliable maturity, strong standability and good drydown. For silage, performance depends on a combination of whole-plant yield, grain and starch production, plant health, fibre characteristics and digestibility.
The goal is a hybrid that produces a high-performing whole plant for silage without sacrificing the grain yield and agronomic characteristics needed when taking the crop through to grain.
More Options as the Season Develops
One of the biggest advantages of planting a dual-purpose hybrid is having options when conditions change.
A field originally intended for grain may become a valuable source of silage if feed inventories are tight, forage production falls short or weather affects other feed sources. On the other hand, favourable growing conditions, strong crop development or grain market opportunities may make taking the crop through to grain the better choice.
Instead of committing to one end use at planting, a dual-purpose hybrid can give growers more flexibility to make the harvest decision that best fits their operation.
Grain Matters for Silage, Too
Strong grain production isn’t only important when harvesting for grain. It can also be an important contributor to silage quality.
As corn matures, the ear contributes a significant portion of the starch and energy in the harvested crop. However, grain yield alone doesn’t make a great silage hybrid. Whole-plant yield, plant health, fibre characteristics, digestibility and harvest timing all contribute to overall feeding value.
That’s why evaluating a dual-purpose hybrid means looking beyond the ear. The hybrid needs to deliver both strong grain production and the whole-plant characteristics livestock producers need from a silage crop.
Evaluating a New Dual-Purpose Option
This season, BrettYoung is evaluating the experimental corn hybrid BYM2630001BV, an 82-day relative maturity (RM) VT Double PRO® hybrid with 2425 Grain CHU and 2325 Silage CHU.
BYM2630001BV is being evaluated for both grain and silage performance, including yield potential, silage quality, standability, drought tolerance and overall agronomic performance.
By assessing the hybrid across both end uses, BrettYoung can better understand where it fits and whether it has the combination of grain performance, silage characteristics and agronomic strength needed to provide growers with a true dual-purpose option.
Because while you may have a plan for your corn crop at planting, having more options at harvest can be a valuable advantage. Learn more about BrettYoung corn varierties by talking to your local BrettYoung representative about what fits on your farm.
