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Colby, Kansas | JimAus,
One of the questions you threw out and I'm not sure I read a reply was regarding the term flex. That typically refers to how flexible the kernels per ear row yield component is with regard to stress. For dryland conditions you would desire a flex type hybrid. This term is sometimes confused with prolificacy, or the ability of the plant to set multiple ears. Most hybrids today have been bred to be non-prolific, however some still exhibit that tendency at low plant populations. As Mutt mentioned this is very much variety dependent.
For the conditions you mentioned I think 18,000 is a plenty. My feeling is 14-15,000 may be more appropriate. 15-16k seems to be our optimum over the long haul in various studies here at the Tribune station. However, the penalty for over planting is less that it has been historically as corn as been bred under increasing levels of inter-plant competition. Our in season rainfall here at Tribune runs around 8". The attached table shows some of our yields in wheat-corn-fallow, wheat-sorghum-fallow, and wheat-corn-sorghum-fallow rotations. As I'm sure is true where you're at, our yields are quite variable.
What row spacings are you using, work here on the high plans would suggest that at a 60 bu yield level you would typically see a response to some form of altered spacing, ex. skip row. What type of rotation are you in, we have learned here that having sufficient surface residue is critical to success with dryland corn. In many years yield can be correlated with the previous crops yield, on account of residue available to suppress evaporation.
Which direction from Victoria are you, was trying to get a feel for that area on Google Earth. Very interesting to read about similar type practices on the other side of the world, very possible that there is more in common between my location and yours than the other side of the state I live in.
Regards,
Lucas
 (WestPalenRowCropYields.JPG)
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 WestPalenRowCropYields.JPG (49KB - 116 downloads)
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Dryland Corn Plant
