WHITE AND YELLOW FOOD CORN - UPDATED FOR 2003

Description: White and yellow food corn hybrids are dent corn with specific endosperm (starch) traits, often referred to as hard endosperm. White food corn has a white kernel color and whiter starch. Both yellow and white food corns contain high amounts of vitreous (having a “glasslike” texture) endosperm relative to the amount of floury endosperm. Specific quality traits for alkaline-processed foods include ease and completeness of pericarp (seedcoat) removal, hardness of endosperm, kernel crown configuration, uniform sized kernels, high specific gravity, kernel red streak resistance, and a white cob. White corn typically has 2.5-5 lb/bu higher test weight than commodity corn. White and yellow food corns are typically contracted and sold to dry-mill processors and used in alkaline cooking processes for making masa, tortilla chips, snack foods, and grits. White food grade has a limited wet milling use for food grade starch and paper uses.
Trends in demand: Nearly 900,000 acres of white food grade corn were grown in the United States in 2002 and yellow food corn acreage ranged from to 1.2 to 1.5 million acres. The demand for white corn is expected to continue to increase over the next few years due to increased trade with Mexico. White corn yields about 3-10% less than yellow corn, depending on growing conditions. Premiums for white corn are expected to be $0.15-0.40 in 2003. Spot premiums could be higher if contracts need to be filled. The premiums are highly dependent on the South African crop as it competes with the U.S. export market to Asia. Opportunities may exist for further exports of white corn to Japan and Korea.
The premium paid for yellow food grade often depends upon the hybrid grown and the supply of corn with the desired quality traits, such as hard endosperm. New, higher yielding yellow food hybrids with desirable processing traits yield essentially the same as other dent hybrids. Area producer premiums for yellow corn range from $.08 - $.12 per bushel over the Chicago Board of Trade options. End-use processors require consistent grain with desirable milling qualities, specifically, low amounts of cracked and broken kernels. Contractors often add extra quality incentive premiums to producers for this reason. As demand for food-grade corn increases, demand is met by improved hybrids and increasing acreage with existing growers where a positive relationship has developed; new growers are seldom added. On-farm storage is necessary when contracts specify delivery throughout the year.

RECOMMENDED PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

Growing practices for both white and yellow food corn are similar. The key concept is that food corn is grown for human consumption, therefore, a high-quality crop is demanded by the end user. The practices that are required for successful white and yellow food corn production are similar to those used for regular dent corn hybrids. Practices that preserve grain identity from planting through storage must be followed. Recommended agronomic practices should be followed, including the maintenance of good soil fertility and pest control to minimize stress and maximize yield potential.

• Seed Selection. Select numbers as you otherwise would. Ask your dealer about yield history, maturity, standability, disease resistance, drought tolerance, dry-down and adaptability of their recommended food grade corn numbers. Also, your contract may specify which seed company hybrids are acceptable.
• Site Selection. Select your better, well-drained ground to gain maximum yield and limit stress. Avoid droughty soils.
• Crop Rotation. A good corn-soybean rotation program is recommended to increase yield and control pests.
• Isolation. Isolation from normal yellow dent corn is required for white food corn. Also, planting white hybrids to the west of yellow hybrids minimizes wind pattern effects during pollination. White corn shipments with more than 2% yellow kernels are not acceptable to many processors. Yellow food corn has fewer restrictions.
• Seedbed Preparation. Prepare a seedbed that will promote uniform seed emergence and crop development. Avoid cloddy soils with heavy residue and poor furrow closure conditions. Conventional and miniumum till methods may provide for more even plant emergence than no-till.
• Plant Population. Consult with seed representative and follow recommended seeding rates, usually about 30,000 for yellow food corn and about 28,000 for white food corn. Processors desire large uniform kernel size and shape. Producing large uniform ears without sacrificing yield greatly is the preferred management strategy. White food has more ear flex and usually yields just as well at lower populations.
• Planting Date. To harvest low-stress-crack food corn, plant early for the maturity of the hybrid. The second half of April is the best time to plant. Planting early will help extend the grain filling period and reduce the likelihood of stress during pollination.
• Fertility. Food corn fertility requirements are the same as for regular commercial hybrids. A balanced fertility program is a must. Do not short nitrogen. Nitrogen should be used at a ratio of 1.2 pounds per bushel of expected yield, minus 40 pounds nitrogen if following soybeans. Since yield expectations for white food corn are less, fertility program may be adjusted as to yield goals.
• Insect Management. It is important to have an effective pest control program. Control below ground pests with soil insecticide, especially if planting "corn on corn" or where western corn rootworm damage has been observed. A seed treatment or soil insecticide may also be needed in fields with a history of wireworm or true white grub damage. Scout fields regularly and monitor for corn leaf aphid, corn rootworm beetles, and Japanese beetles that can clip silks and reduce pollen production.

RECOMMENDED HARVEST AND POST-HARVEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

• Harvesting Food Corn. To avoid excessive mechanical damage to kernels make sure the combine is properly adjusted. Set the clearance and speed of the cylinder according to the operator's manual as a starting point and make slight adjustments in the field as needed. Inspect the housing and flighting on all conveyors and replace excessively worn augers. Rotary combines are recommended.
• Drying Strategies. White food corn must have a low, uniform level of 20% or less stress cracks to be processed efficiently by the masa miller. Field drying is best and allows the kernel to reach full-maturity, but corn may be machine dried at low temperatures with unheated air, or air heated up by only 10-15°F. Temper transferred corn by turning off fans for 6 to 12 hours before aerating the bin with outside air to remove the drying heat. For food grade white and yellow corn, grain kernel temperature must be kept below 140°F during the entire drying process to minimize undesirable quality losses.
• Corn Handling and Cleaning. Food grade commodities must be kept separate in order to maintain value. Make sure that augers to and from the dryer are not causing damage. Keep augers full when running and consider replacing pulleys to reduce auger speed and maintain grain quality. Clean dry corn before placing it into a storage bin to improve air flow and reduce the potential for spoilage problems. Storage bins should be swept clean prior to placing grain in them to reduce insect problems. Run a cooling cycle through grain once a month during the fall and throughout the winter to lower grain temperature by 10 to 15°F at a time. Cover fan to minimize moisture accumulation in stored grain during the spring.

SAMPLE PARTIAL BUDGET ANALYSIS

Regular Hybrid Corn		Yellow Food Corn		White Food Corn
Soil fertility	$50	Soil fertility	$50	Soil fertility	$48
Pesticides	32	Pesticides	32	Pesticides	32
Seed (30,000 pop.)	35	Seed (30,000 pop.)	35	Seed (28,000 pop.)	35
Drying	16	Drying	16	Drying	14
Mchy. repair, fuel & hire	28	Mchy. repair, fuel & hire	28	Mchy. repair, fuel & hire	28
Storage	29	Storage	29	Storage	29
Operating Interest	6	Operating Interest	6	Operating Interest	6
Total	$196	Total	$196	Total	$191

ADDED VALUE CALCULATOR

• Drying of White Food Corn for Quality, Purdue University

Economic Analysis:

Marketing Information/Contracts:

• Iowa Exporter's Directory
• SNAXPO 2000, 63rd Annual SFA Exhibit & Conference
• Cereals, Grains, Seeds: Corn
• Checklist for Grain Production Contracts
• White Corn
• O'Malley Grain Inc.
• Iowa Exporter's Directory
• ConAgra Grain, Canada
• J.R. Short Milling Co.

Human Nutrition:

Agronomic Research/Test Plots:

• 1997 Food-Grade Corn Mini Strip Results-Asgrow
• White Food Grade Corn Performance - Peter Thomison, et al.
• 2000 Corn Results-Nebraska University
  

General Information:

• White corn could bring dough to southwestern Indiana
• Value-Enhanced Corn in the United States - Ken Hough,OCPA
• Food Grade Corn and Grain Drying/Storage Research Program Ken Hough
• Maize/Corn Starch & its Derivatives
• Daybreak Farming and Food Project Home Page
• White Corn Could Bring Dough to Southwestern Indiana, Terry Keeneth
• Biotech Adds Value to Farm Commodities
• Management Needs for Specialty Corn Hybrids- Joe Lauer, Corn Agronomist
• Iowa Farmer Today Corn Hybrid Review
• Identity Preserved Crops - Raymond E. Massey
• Specialty Corn
• Nitrate Losses Under Various Nitrogen Management Systems - J. Kent Mitchell, et al.
  

Sources:

• Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois, Farm Income and Production Cost Summary from Illinois Farm Business Records 1997.
• Experienced Grower Interviews, January - February 1999.
• Pfister Hybrid Corn Company. 1998-99 Superkernoil Product Guide. pp. 5, 10.
• Keeneth, Terry. Harvesting, Drying and Handling Food Corn in Southwest Indiana.
• Keeneth, Terry. Southwest Indiana Food Corn Production and Resource Guide.
• U.S. Feed Grains Council, 1998-1999 Value-Enhanced Corn Quality Report.

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Rita Frerichs compiled the information contained in this fact sheet through interviews with experienced producers and from private sector company representatives. This information has not been validated through research carried out by University of Illinois scientists, but this fact sheet has been prepared under the technical supervision of Emerson D. Nafziger, Steven Eckhoff, and Dale Lattz, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This work has been carried out as part of a project to Improve Farm Incomes and Rural Communities through Specialty Farm Products funded by the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR) under the Special Research Initiative (SRI) on Rural Community Development.

For more information on other project activities and outputs, contact Burton E. Swanson, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, 332 Mumford Hall, 1301 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL. Tel: (217) 244-6978; Fax: (217) 333-5835 or by e-mail: swansonb@uiuc.edu.

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Please note: The partial budget analysis presented above illustrates how to evaluate the potential economic returns of food grade corn. Producers should use their own cost and yield estimates, plus any premiums quoted by participating elevators in calculating estimated returns for their own situation.
²This is the premium for 1 firm responding to Illinois Specialty Handler Survey yellow for food grade corn.
³This is the average premium for 3 firms responding to Illinois Specialty Handler Survey, with a range of 15 to 40 cents/bushel for white food grade corn.