Learn about short-stature corn at 2025 Crop Management Conference

COLUMBIA, Mo. – It’s not the size of the corn that matters. It’s the yield.

Mark Licht, extension cropping systems specialist at Iowa State University, will speak on how short-stature corn is gaining popularity during the Dec. 9-10 Missouri Crop Management Conference at Stoney Creek Inn in Columbia.

Short-stature corn is a type of corn hybrid with reduced height, typically about 30% shorter than traditional varieties. It is bred to be more resilient, efficient and easier to farm. Its shorter, sturdier stocks reduce the risk of lodging from wind and other weather events.

Short-stature corn allows for greater planting densities and narrower rows, making it simpler and more precise to apply fertilizer, fungicides and pesticides. The smaller tassels and shorter leaves allow more sunlight to reach the plant canopy, which can lead to higher yields.

Licht also has written articles on solutions for “corn edge effect,” in which yield from the outside edges of the cornfield is lower than in the middle of the field due to a wind-induced microclimate. Yield is further reduced under drought-like conditions.

The Missouri Crop Management Conference, hosted by the University of Missouri, is Dec. 9-10 at the Stoney Creek Hotel in Columbia. Registration deadline is Nov. 28.

Details and registration. For more information, contact Heather Bowden at 573-882-4303 or Nicholshn@missouri.edu.