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Ontario's Soils and Climate Combine for Excellent, Consistent Yields
Commercial corn yields on southwestern Ontario's seed-corn soils frequently surpass 180 bushels per acre,
sometimes exceeding 200 bushels. In soybeans, 60-plus bushels are common, with some yields topping 70
bushels per acre (Tables 1 and 2). 'Yield potential' is a complex combination of soil, heat, and rainfall, plus
other factors including pest pressures and the grower's skill.
'Consistent yield' is an indication of the reliability with which all those yield factors come together. For seed
corn production, yield consistency can be at least as important as yield potential. Ideally, a region should
have both excellent yield potential and exceptional yield consistency…as in southwestern Ontario.
Seed corn is planted on the region's most productive soils. A better indicator of yield expectations for these
soils may be the yields in regional corn and soybean trials. These standardized trials are conducted on farms with
productive soils by provincial committees using normal farm management (although the plots are overplanted
and subsequently thinned for population)
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