High Oil Corn Production Q&A

What is high oil corn and how does it differ from #2 yellow corn?

High oil corn is a special type of corn that has been bred to have higher percent oil content than regular #2 yellow corn. Typically #2 yellow corn has from 3.5 to 4.0% oil. Ideally, high oil corn should contain 7.0 to 8.0% oil. In samples tested in 1996, the oil content of high oil corn hybrids ranged from 4.6 to 8.1% compared to normal dent corn that had oil contents ranging from 2.7 to 4.0%. In addition to the higher oil content, high oil corn kernels usually have a slightly higher percent protein and, even more importantly, higher amounts of amino acids such as lysine, threonine, and tryptophan that are important in the diets of poultry and swine.

How are these higher oil concentrations bred into normal corn hybrids?

Corn cultivars have a wide diversity of genetic traits. Corn breeders have long recognized the potential for higher oil and amino acid concentrations in corn, but these traits are difficult to breed into high yielding hybrids. Furthermore, the cost of this type of breeding effort was prohibitive as long as there was little or no incentive to produce corn with higher oil concentrations. Currently, there are two ways of producing high oil corn seed. There is the traditional breeding work (including genetic engineering techniques) being pursued by a number of companies such as Pioneer Hi-Bred and others. While some gains have been made in introducing high oil genes into conventional hybrids, there has not been enough gain in oil content to justify a release of any new hybrid materials at this time. Industry sources report that with the genetic materials available today, kernel oil content can be increased by 1-2% resulting in a total oil content of 5-6%.

The other method for producing high oil corn seed is a technique developed by Dupont known as TopCrossingâ. TopCrossingâ involves the use of a specially developed male pollinator line which is mixed and planted along with a traditional hybrid that is male sterile. The male pollinator, which usually makes up about 10% of the seed in the bag, produces all the pollen necessary to fertilize the female corn flowers present. The TopCrossâ technology makes use of a phenomenon known as apomixis in which the genetic identity of the male plant is transferred via the pollination process to the corn kernel, or more specifically, to the endosperm of the kernel. This results in kernels that have the same traits as those on the male plant. Those traits result in a smaller endosperm. Therefore, the embryo, which contains most of the oil content, protein, and amino acids, makes up a much larger percentage of the total corn kernel. This increases total oil content of the grain almost 50%. Unfortunately, the male pollinator itself is not very productive. In fact, in this process it is common to concentrate on pollinators that are very prolific at producing pollen, which in turn, causes a corresponding reduction in seed production.

What are the advantages of high oil corn to the corn producer and the livestock producer?

The primary advantage of high oil corn is to the livestock producer, particularly poultry, dairy, and swine producers. Rapid rates of weight gain require the intake of enormous amounts of energy. Often it is difficult to get the animal to consume enough feed to obtain the weight gain desired (or milk production desired). It has been common practice in some of the more progressive livestock operations to add fat to the diet to increase the energy content of the feed. Additionally, certain amino acids such as lysine are critical in poultry diets. Often feeders add amino acids because the feed doesn’t contain enough of these essential proteins. High oil corn naturally contains high amounts of amino acids and has available energy contents that meet the needs of the animals. Feed trials have proven that high oil corn can replace all of the added fat in a livestock ration without reducing gain or production. For livestock producers who are not using added fat, high oil corn increases daily weight gains by as much as 10%. As a result, feeders don’t have to pay for expensive fat or amino acid additives. They save money and maintain or increase the productivity of their operation.

For corn farmers the benefits come from having satisfied customers who are willing to share some of the increased profits with them in the form of premiums paid for high oil corn. Currently, livestock feeders are paying form $0.15 to $0.30 more for high oil corn.

What are the disadvantages of high oil corn?

The disadvantages of high oil corn come from lower corn yields, increased kernel damage, and the potential for increases in insect damage. Because almost 10% of the seed in the bag is the unproductive male pollinator, yield decreases of up to 10% are possible. Furthermore, in a year when drought stress occurs during pollination, the smaller amount of pollen available and the mismatch in the timing of silk emergence and pollen shed could reduce yields even more. Trials have shown some decrease in corn yield using the TopCrossâ system. However, these yield decreases have been less than the predicted 10%. Dupont recommends increasing seeding rates to obtain higher plant populations that make up for the loss of productive plants. This may not be feasible on droughty soils. The Dupont pollinators are designed to compensate for drought conditions by shedding pollen over a longer period (2 weeks vs 7-10 days), and by producing more pollen.

The increase in embryo vs the hard endosperm results in a softer kernel that is more prone to damage. Trials have shown a significant increase in kernel damage in the midwest. Softer kernels and high oil also makes this corn attractive to insect feeding. Currently, there are no high oil Bt hybrids, but this is being considered.

Why are premiums necessary?

If corn yields from a high oil hybrid and a conventional hybrid remained the same there would be no need for premiums. The increase in demand for high oil corn and the increased income available to purchase high oil corn would result in market price increases for these hybrids. Therefore, the open market system would provide the incentive for growers to select high oil hybrids. Unfortunately, the reduced yield potential from high oil hybrids make premiums necessary. For instance consider the following scenario: a producer plants a high oil corn hybrid and a conventional hybrid side by side. At harvest, the conventional hybrid yields 100 bu per acre verses the high oil hybrid that yields only 90 bu per acre (10% yield reduction due to the unproductive male pollinator). At the current market price of $2.50 per bushel the conventional field returns $250 per acre. The high oil corn returns $225 per acre. In order to make up for the decrease in income from the high oil hybrid the producer would have to be paid a premium of $0.28 per bushel. The reduction in yield potential that exists in the current high oil corns are the reason premiums are necessary in the marketplace. A corn producer who is interested in the high oil corn market must determine his potential yield reductions before agreeing to a premium contract. Otherwise, he/she will not be able to calculate the return from high oil corn.

How does high oil corn yield in North Carolina compared to conventional hybrids?

There has been only limited testing of high oil corn hybrids in North Carolina. The main reason for this is that the male pollinators that Dupont currently has available are not well adapted to either the growing conditions in North Carolina nor do they have the correct pollen shed period for our environment. As you move south, the influence of daylength changes the number of growing degree units required by the crop, which changes the length of the period from emergence to silking. Since the pollinators must be synchronized with silk emergence, this can cause problems in pollinating the corn flower. There have been some tests conducted by county agents interested in the adaptation of high oil corn hybrids. The following test conducted by Don Baker in Pasquotank County shows the yield and oil results for grain yield.

Table 1. Grain yield, percent oil, percent protein, and percent amino acid for high oil corn hybrids grown in Pasquotank County in 1997.

Variety	Test Wt.	Composition As Received				Zero Moisture Basis	Dry Yield
		% Oil	% Protein	% Starch	%Lysine	% Oil	bu/acre
P X1156R	55	5.0	8.8	56.4	0.29	6.2	34.0
P 34M55	55	4.5	8.6	58.2	0.28	5.4	42.8
Novartis 522OTC	58	5.7	9.4	58.9	0.31	6.6	56.9
Novartis NX5526	58	5.7	9.8	58.5	0.32	6.7	58.3
Novartis N64232TC	56	5.6	8.9	57.4	0.30	6.6	97.7
Novartis NX7577	54	6.6	8.9	56.5	0.31	7.8	103.9
Novartis NX7515	55	6.1	9.1	58.0	0.31	7.1	86.7
AgraTech ATX685TC	53	6.5	8.6	59.0	0.31	7.4	89.9

While no comparisons were made with conventional hybrids, hybrids grown in the area yielded from 87 to 140 bu per acre. It is important to note that this plot did suffer some drought stress and that these are experimental hybrids. Some improvements will occur as better adapted pollinators are developed and planting procedures defined.

Some high oil corn hybrids were tested for use as silage materials. The results of these tests are being evaluated. The agents conducting these tests should be contacted about their observations and recommendations.

What is the future of high oil corn in North Carolina?

Despite the potential for yield reductions, the future for high oil corn in North Carolina is very bright. Because livestock feeders make up a large portion of our corn market, there will be an increasing demand for value added corn products. Already in 1998, contracts for high oil corn are being signed with local producers. Livestock feeders don’t want to have two separate facilities, one for high oil corn and one for #2 yellow corn. Therefore, because high oil corn has such important feeding benefits, they are moving to make high oil corn the only product they buy. North Carolina corn producers are in a unique position in that our corn is usually harvested in August at a time when corn stocks are at their lowest point. Livestock feeders interested in maintaining their supply of high oil corn should be willing to pay high premiums for this early crop in order to make sure that they don’t have to convert back to feeding normal #2 yellow dent corn.

This is only the beginning of the trend toward value added products. High lysine corn, low linolenic oil soybeans and other value added cultivars will be coming in the near future. Growers will be moving toward contract marketing with livestock producers to provide these new value added crops.