Westfield, Indiana, USA
April 9, 2025
It’s not necessarily how much you plant but what you harvest that matters. Logic says that as you increase populations, you increase yield. But that’s only true to a certain point.
“You will hit a certain threshold whereby increasing plant populations, you decrease yield potential because you’ve outpopulated your inputs,” says Matt Teply, LG Seeds agronomist. “It’s quality over quantity.”
Determining the planting population that’s “just right” for your field can be difficult. So, how does a corn grower find out?
“It’s largely based on your yield goal and geography, which comes with a lot of factors to consider,” says Teply. “Precipitation levels, soil types and hybrids all come into play. Getting your planting population right can help you reach your yield goal.”
Regardless of soil type, Teply says even emergence is a good indicator of how much you’ll harvest.
How geography impacts populations
The first step in determining the proper planting population is having yield goals grounded in field history that complement your geography. With variable soil types and precipitation amounts, a yield goal for a corn grower can be drastically different across state lines or just down the road.
For example, a yield goal on good ground in Illinois that typically receives 30 inches of rain may be in the 260 to 280 bushels per acre range; to hit that, a grower may need a planting population of 36,000 to 38,000. On the other hand, the yield goal for a dryland field in the High Plains that sees an average of 14 inches of rainfall per year may be 80 to 100 bushels per acre, implying a planting population of 14,000 to 16,000 plants per acre.
Teply is accustomed to varying planting populations by geography as he serves the western half of the United States, but their goals have one similarity.
“In the West, everything is based off water — how much we have, what our crops need, our soil’s water-holding capacity — all of these variables impact yield goals,” says Teply. “If you overpopulate, then you won’t have enough moisture to reach your yield goal. That’s a common theme in the West where drought is a near annual challenge.”
Soil lays the groundwork
Soil type, slope, residue and its ability to retain water must be considered when determining your planting populations. Not only can this vary by geography, but also from field to field.
Soils like silt loam or clay hold more water and tend to stay cooler compared to the sandy soils many of Teply’s growers have.
“In sandier soil types, you expect more crop stress and have less water-holding capacity, so you’re looking at lower plant populations,” says Teply. “On the other end, too much water in soils that have high water-holding capacities can cause issues if populations are not dense enough.”
The flip side of getting planting populations right is making sure what you plant emerges evenly. Teply encourages growers to check that soil temperatures are at least 50 F and consistent through the upper 3 to 4 inches of soil profile. They should also make sure they’re planting deep enough to ensure the corn seed germinates and emerges at the same time.
“Planting shallow hurts corn’s development because you’ve limited root structure potential. If you’re going to hedge, hedge deep,” Teply says. “The LG Seeds lineup is full of products with strong emergence and early vigor scores that can help growers reach their yield goals.”
Match hybrids to your yield goals
Because geography and environments can change the way hybrids perform, your local agronomist is the best source for determining planting populations, followed by your seed guide, Teply says.
“Local agronomists know your geography, and because they’ve seen the product, they know what they have done and how they have performed,” says Teply. “They can help you get the best corn seeding rate for your fields, conditions and goals.”
Agronomists like Teply also understand hybrids’ ability to flex by kernel depth, length or girth, and which of them may benefit from either increasing or backing off populations to realize yield goals.
Reach out to your local LG Seeds agronomist to optimize your seed plans for your yield goals or other crop management concerns.
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