Do any of you use your corn from this years crop to plant next year? if so how were the results? im guessing the germination rate will be lower and it wont produce as much, but might be a good way to get a field planted if you don't want to fork out the money in seed?
Be careful doing that as I'm pretty sure that's not legal; at least GMO crops. When you buy from, let's say Monsanto, you're buying the right to plant their product. I don't know all the correct terms but maybe someone can add to it.
You can plant this years crop the following year and not run into any trouble from Monsanto or any other companies as long as it will not be harvested (which I assume it will not be if it's for a food plot). You will also lose quite a bit of yield but it will still produce some corn the normal cover deer like.
Monsanto will show up at your door unless it is strictly for a food plot. Been farmers loose a bunch of money to them over similar situations.
I wouldn't risk it for a harvestable crop, food plots, sure I would if I decided I wanted to. Welter seed company sells non-gmo hybrids and open pollinated for cheap though so that may be a wiser choice to be safe and not be replanting weed seed either. I'm getting away from all the GMO crap. I've planted conventional beans the last two years.
An old client actually called me yesterday on this very topic. He also use to sell seed and work in the industry. I would never recommend to anyone to do this but i can walk people through the x-y and z's if one does. Like with any grains, pre germing them is important. Then i'd recommend using a treatment on it and then add some growth promoter.
I plant last years corn every year. When the farmers are done planting in the spring I usually take there left overs mix them together and use them the next spring. I have always had good luck with germination. The key is to keep the corn in the freezer. I know some guys that planted some corn that had been in the freezer for four years and had a great stand...Just my two cents worth.
I had about ten pounds of sweet corn in the freezer that had been in there fr five years and I planted it this spring and had a fantastic crop of sweet corn off it. Stuff is ridiculously high priced.
Food plots are expensive and I beggars can't be choosers. I take everything I can get put it in a labeled sealed rubbermaid tote and keep it until the next year. I keep all of my leftover corn and sunflowers in a couple freezers. Soybeans seem to be easier to come by for me so they sit out in the machine shed in the totes. Ive been doing it for years and I have always had good stands.
I don't think the OP is talking about using seed corn he bought this year for next year. I believe he's talking about harvesting some of the corn he planted this year and using those seeds to plant with next year.
Dan, you are a genius son. Im glad you showed up to get this fulton county boy lined out on the right topic. From what I have seen field corn doesn't pollinate real well when its planted. As far as beans go they if you picked your beans and planted them they will grow fine. But everyone else is right its very illegal.
Thank you all for the replies. Knowing its illegal, im just going buy the seed. A farmer friend usually helps us out with this.
