Verified FBN Member (OH)

Agronomy

Recommendations for Field corn hybrids that offer more protection from Redwing Blackbird damage.

Being a former sweetcorn grower(110 acres average for 40+ years) I know all about Redwing bird damage in corn. Propane cannons, shooting, ballons etc offered little protection. The only thing we found that worked at all was planting varieties with longer/stronger husks that offered more tip coverage. Well, now that I am only growing 1,000 acres of field corn and beans I have had some prettty severe damage in some of my field corn. Just saw last week as much as 100 bu/ac decrease in yield as I moved across the field with the combine. The bird damage also had the added benfit of allowing rain to puddle inside the husks(ears didn't tip over like it should have due to 1/3 of the corn missing off the cob according to my agronomist) and cause up to 19% damage due to mold and sprouting. (We had an exceptionally wet season this year) Any help would be greatly appreciated. Would prefer at least a Round-Up Ready variety if possible. Thank you.

4


Verified FBN Member (TX)

Am not sure about Redwing Blackbird, but we have regular Black sparrows along with geese & Sandhill crane …….. but one of the tricks a very old man gave me works well …… strips of Aluminum foil ….. shine side up 3’ -4’ longer the better put them all over the Feilds on top of the crop / then poke tassel through let it float on top of the crop …., the reflections and noises that it’s puts off keep the birds from landing …. Harvesting just gobbles it up spits it out the machine.

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