Factors That Impact Yield of Irrigated Corn in Arkansas.

Corn yields across the Mid-south have been increasing with every passing year.  Yields of 300 bu/acre or more have been recorded from producer fields in 2012 and 2013.  Corn acreage has also increased dramatically as many producers are switching more acreage to corn and new producers are eager to raise 300 bu/acre corn..  Little research in the Mid-South has evaluated what inputs go into being able to produce 300 bu/acre corn, which some producers and National Corn Growers Yield Contest winners have been able to do.  Typically all of the inputs into these fields are not divulged.  In 2013, two trials in the Mississippi river delta of Arkansas were conducted to evaluate which factors impact corn yield.  Factors evaluated included; deep tillage, starter in-furrow fertilizer, higher seeding rates, additional fertilizer, and foliar fungicides.  All of these factors were evaluated separately and then combined together into a high yield system.  When combined together, the high yield corn system increased yields as much as 40 bu/acre.