2 ears on corn?

[Jefe™©]

Anyone else seeing an abundance of 2 ears forming on corn this year? Checked 2 fields today and a good guess would be 75% of the plants are forming 2 ears. Plus, it's not hard to find 3 ears.

Can it be a bad thing or is it just a big plus? Granted, most won't produce 2 ears but is any energy wasted and thus hurt the yields?

[7150]

With an abundance of rainfall, most hybrids will set two ears early on. As it comes under stress, the plant will re-absorb the additional ears with no detrimental affects.

[cornandbeef]

Like 7150 said. Its very common

[glowplug]

Corn is a large tropical grass, originally from southern Mexico and there are 70-80 or so native kinds of corn. In fact some of those are perenial instead of the annual we're so familiar with. And some of it sets the seed head in the tassel area. With the right weather conditions you'll see "tassel ears" some years in certain corn varieties. The corn varieties that evolved through years of breeding for typically droughty South Africa express multiple ears, 6 to 8 on a short stalk. (Researchers are using these genetics as part of the breeding for the soon to be released improved drought stress corn. But relax guys, the 6-8 ear trait won't be included.) And it won't be Franken-corn.

www.agprofessional.com/news/Activist-finds-the-light-for-biotechnology-125979008.html

Glowplug

[Jefe™©]

Some of the second ears haven't filled any. Some have filled but not quite all the way to the end. The main ears have filled to the end. Will it absorb the second ear that has already put kernals on?

[cornandbeef]

How far along are the ears

[Jefe™©]

Will this help?

[Jefe™©]

[Jefe™©]

[7150]

In my experience Jefe, once the ear has viable kernels, it won't be aborted. But anytime up to that point.

[acfarmer]

Two ears what the heck are you guys talking about, Mine is struggling to get one ear on it with anything in it.

[cornandbeef]

That helps Jefe. I would say one will make it. If you were close to black layer or at the end of blister then it would.

[Jefe™©]

Had the seed rep out today and even he was impressed at the amount of 2 ears with kernels. He said it was a good sign that everything was healthy and fertile but also said that even though we planted 34,400 population on 38" twin rows that the way things look, we could stand to "up" the population. He admitted it was a little bit of uncharted waters with him and twin rows, especially 38" twin rows but with the early kernel count for a yield estimate, we might have to lie to the neighbors on what the fields yielded cause know one will believe us.

I make a bad liar but I hope I get the chance to.

[ses]

That's great! I hope you blow the doors off of your bins.

[Topshot]

If you'd take a knife and split the stalk and get out your magnifying glass, you'd find that there are ear shoots at almost all the nodes under the ear shoot. Depending on conditions, it's possible that many more could emerge but pretty doubtful that they would. At least they're there ready to go!!!