Despite all that corn, Canada remains a net importer. That means there’s plenty of room to grow — particularly in Western Canada, where new genetics have brought profitability. But if everyone jumps on the corn bandwagon, what has to give? Who will grow traditional western Canadian crops, and how will markets react?

Profitability is the name of the game. With canola acres capped at 20 to 22 million, as producers make their crop mix decisions, they’ll look for other methods to increase profitability on other acres. That’s because according to 2011 farm cash receipts, canola and wheat were the most valuable crops in Canada — with corn placing third.

Livestock producers were among the earliest adapters of corn in Western Canada. Corn offers more energy per kernel — and it’s a more efficient feed for the region’s roughly four million beef cow herd and nearly six million head on feed. Grain corn offers versatility too. Ranchers can leave it standing for cattle to graze on in winter months, or silage can be added to feed rations. It offers plenty of benefit to Western Canada’s dairy and hog sectors too.

With new genetics now available, harvesting corn for grain is also a very real option. Dry grain corn will be the largest potential acres for producers and will be used in feedlot rations, human consumption, ethanol or export.

As corn begins to take hold in more acres across the region, producers are expected to replace less profitable crops, such as alfalfa or barley. Corn offers more bang for the buck — and more nutrition value too.

Industry experts estimate there could be up to eight million annual cropped acres of corn down the road. As producers overcome the learning curve that comes with introducing any new crop, infrastructure is expected to keep pace. There are options for equipment solutions, grain bin system expansions and an expanding seed catalogue.

If you’re still uncertain about working corn into your rotation, now might be the time to give it a try. Talk to your seed rep about options for your area, and crunch the numbers to see if, once the learning curve has passed, it’ll make a difference to your operation’s ROI.

Breeanna Kelln is the livestock information manager, Western Canada for DuPont Pioneer.

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Assessing costs by the numbers

The winter feeding period for beef cattle in Western Canada is typically 200 days per year, making it costly to supply feed nutrients to pregnant beef cows. The cost for winter grazing cows, including yardage, may range from $0.70 to $1.40 per day, which is substantially lower than feeding stored forages — with no extra expenses related to corral cleaning, manure handling and facilities maintenance.

Selecting grazing corn hybrids

Approximately 65 per cent of the energy source in corn can be found in the grain. That means it’s vital for producers to select a hybrid with good ear production for grazing corn.

Producers should also be sure they’re selecting hybrid that are best suited to the corn heat unit ratings in their area. Ideally they’ll want the crop to freeze at the R5 stage, roughly the same time they would typically silage it. This will help to increase palatability.

Contributing to herd health

Older or younger cows may need time to adapt to a winter grazing system. Producers will need to know and manage the cow age by limiting winter grazing to their main cow herd.

Animals see no negative health impact, as they remain walking and physically active during the winter months, when they would traditionally be less active in a corral. Studies have shown that fall and winter grazing animals can result in improved cow body condition, postpone the onset of weight loss, and decrease costs.

In addition, winter systems can have a positive effect on nutrient cycling and soil health of the grazed land. Once the ground is frozen, producers will see fewer losses from trampling feed into the mud, and soil compaction remains a non-issue, as long as the herd is removed from the field before spring thaw.

For more information about choosing grazing corn hybrids, growers should talk to their local seed dealer.

Breeanna Kelln is an area agronomist with DuPont Pioneer.

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