Matching Silage Hybrids to Field Potential

There are a multitude of considerations and decisions to make when choosing the right corn hybrid for each field. When silage is the goal, it's important to consider soil type, environmental conditions, pest pressures, and where possible, an idea of how well corn grew in that field previously.

In this episode of RealAgriculture's Corn School, Aidan Filipchuk of Pride Seeds discusses some of the contributing factors to choosing a silage hybrid. Matching the final use, such as for just silage or for grazing, and for dairy or beef cattle, with standability and growing season length will have a direct impact on the eventual success of the crop.

Having feed test results from previous years can help to simplify the decision on which hybrid to plant. In the interview below, Filipchuk discusses the seven different numbers that he looks for on a feed test and the difference that those numbers can make when it comes to a selected silage variety. When feed results are not available, Filipchuk recommends speaking with an agronomist and checking local research trial results to help narrow the selection for the best match.