WAXY CORN -
UPDATED FOR 2003
Waxy corn is widely grown in the U.S., but the bulk of acres
are located across central Illinois and Indiana, northern
Iowa, southern Minnesota, and Nebraska. Market size is essentially
stable and currently stands at approximately 700,000 acres.
Most of this acreage is yellow waxy, but a small niche market
has developed in recent years for white waxy corn. Recent
yellow waxy hybrid development has essentially eliminated
the yield drag that was common among some hybrids. Waxy
corn premiums generally range from $.10 to $.25 per bushel
over Chicago Board of Trade prices. Because it is essentially
the same as normal dent corn, waxy corn is one of the easiest
specialty corn types to grow. The key is to select the hybrid
that has comparable yield levels with regular commercial hybridsand
to take care to properly isolate it from normal corn..
Differentiating Characteristics: Waxy cornstarch
is over 99% amylopectin, whereas regular corn contains 72-76%
amylopectin and 24-28% amylose. Amylopectin is a branched
form of starch of high molecular weight, while amylose is
a smaller unbranched or linear form of starch. Waxy corn is
processed in wet milling to produce waxy cornstarch which
slowly retrogrades back to the crystalline form of starch.
Seed companies report that waxy corn may yield 95-97% of conventional
hybrids. Waxy corn could have lower yields under stressful
conditions. Typically waxy corn hybrids will have higher test
weights than conventional corn hybrids.
Uses: Uses of waxy starch include stabilizers
and thickeners for food products, particularly those that
undergo large temperature changes in processing and preparation.
It is also used as an emulsifier for salad dressings. Other
uses include remoistening adhesives in the manufacture of
gummed tape, in adhesives, and in the paper industry. The
use of waxy starches continues to grow, especially due to
the increase in demand for more ready prepared foods. Waxy
corn is also grown by livestock producers, but feeding results
have been inconsistent, with some studies showing some increase
in feed efficiency, and most studies showing no advantage
over normal dent corn.
Trends in demand: Waxy corn is widely grown
in the U.S., but the bulk of acres are located across central
Illinois and Indiana, northern Iowa, southern Minnesota, and
Nebraska where processors are located. Processors only accept
non-GMO waxy corn since much of the feed by-products resulting
from processing waxy corn is shipped to Europe. Market size
is essentially stable and currently stands at approximately
500,000 acres in 2003. Most of this acreage is yellow waxy,
but a small niche market has developed in recent years for
white waxy corn. The white waxy market is expected to remain
small, with estimated plantings in 2003 of less than 2,000
acres. About 70% of waxy corn is grown under contract for
processors while 30% is grown for livestock feed. Waxy corn
premiums generally range from $.20 to $.35 per bushel over
Chicago Board of Trade prices or over local elevator prices,
but can range even higher based on supply. Because it is essentially
the same as normal dent corn, waxy corn is one of the easiest
specialty corn types to grow. The key is to select the hybrid
that has comparable yield levels with regular commercial hybrids.
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
PRACTICES
The practices that are required for successful waxy corn
production are essentially the same as those used for normal
yellow dent corns. Growers should follow recommended agronomic
practices, including the maintenance of good soil fertility
and pest control to minimize stress and maximize yield potential
and kernel quality. However, management practices that preserve
grain identity from planting through storage must be followed.
- Seed Selection. Select numbers as you
otherwise would. Ask about yield history, maturity, standability,
disease resistance, drought tolerances, dry-down and adaptability
of recommended waxy corn numbers. Also, your contract may
specify which seed company hybrids are acceptable.
- Site Selection. Plant waxy corn on well-drained
soils with good water-holding capacity to maximize yield
and reduce stress. Avoid droughty and poorly drained soil
conditions.
- Crop Rotation. Plant corn following soybeans
to increase yield and decrease insect and disease pressure.
Grain yields of rotated corn will typically be about 10%
higher than corn following corn. This yield advantage is
much more pronounced when stress occurs during the growing
season. Rotating with soybeans also minimizes volunteer
corn, which can cause contamination problems during pollination
in waxy corn.
- Isolation. Isolation from non-waxy corn
is necessary. Allow 8-16 border rows around field to reduce
cross-pollination, with more rows if normal corn borders
the waxy field. These border rows should be harvested separately
and used as feed.
- Seedbed Preparation. Prepare a seedbed
that will promote uniform seed emergence and crop development.
Avoid planting in cloddy soils, heavy residue fields or
poor furrow closure conditions. Conventional and minimum
till methods may provide for more even plant emergence than
no-till.
- Plant Population. Follow recommended
seeding rates, usually about 30,000 plants per acre to maximize
yield.
- Planting Date. Plant early in the maturity
window for the seed you select: the last half of April is
the best planting period, if soil conditions permit. Planting
early helps extend the grain filling period and reduces
the likelihood of stress during pollination.
- Fertility. Use a balanced fertility program.
While not essential in most of Illinois, starter fertilizer
can promote uniform plant emergence for good pollination.
Nitrogen should be used at a ratio of 1.2 pounds per bushel
of expected yield, minus 40 pounds nitrogen if following
soybeans, and minus other nitrogen applications such as
manure and DAP.
- Insect Management.Use an effective pest
control program. Scout fields regularly for potential pest
problems.
RECOMMENDED HARVEST AND POST-HARVEST
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
- Harvesting Waxy Corn.To avoid excessive
mechanical damage to kernels make sure the combine is properly
adjusted. Combine and keep border rows separate for use
as feed.
- Drying Strategies. Field drying is best
and allows the kernel to reach full-maturity, but corn may
be machine dried at low temperatures. Grain kernel
temperature should be kept below 140°F
during the entire drying process to minimize undesirable
quality losses.
- Corn Handling and Cleaning. 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
airflow and reduce the potential for spoilage problems.
Storage bins should be swept clean prior to placing grain
in them to reduce insect and contamination problems. Once
a month during the fall and winter, you should run a cooling
cycle to lower grain temperature by 10 to 15°F.
The remainder of the time, the fan should be covered to
minimize moisture accumulation in the stored grain, especially
during premature warming periods in the early spring.
SAMPLE PARTIAL BUDGET ANALYSIS
- Per Acre Variable Cost Comparison:
| Regular Hybrid Corn |
Waxy Corn |
| Soil fertility |
$50 |
Soil fertility |
$50 |
| Pesticides |
32 |
Pesticides |
32 |
| Seed (30,000 pop.) |
35 |
Seed (30,000 pop.) |
35 |
| Drying |
16 |
Drying |
16 |
| Mchy. repair, fuel & hire |
28 |
Mchy. repair, fuel & hire |
28 |
| Storage |
29 |
Storage |
29 |
| Operating Interest |
6 |
Operating Interest |
6 |
| Total |
$196 |
Total |
$196 |
- Premium:
Premiums range from $.20 - $.35 per bushel
Average premium = $.20 per bushel
Contractors figure base corn price on Chicago Board of Trade
prices.
- Increased Profit Potential Per Acre:
Regular Hybrid Corn:
155 Bu/acre x $2.35 per Bu = $364.25
$364.25 - $196.00 expenses = $168.25 per acre Regular Hybrid
Corn
Waxy Corn:
148 Bu/acre x ($2.35 per Bu + $.20 per Bu premium) = $377.40
$377.40 - $196.00 expenses = $181.40 per acre Waxy corn
Added Value = $13.15 per acre
- Trucking Costs:
Semi - $2.00 per loaded mile. Trucking cost may be higher
for waxy if producer must truck it further than regular
hybrid corn.
Sources:
- Experienced Grower Interviews, January
- February 1999.
- Department of Agricultural and Consumer
Economics, University of Illinois, Farm Income and
Production Cost Summary from Illinois
Farm Business Records 1997.
- Keeneth, Terry. Harvesting, Drying
and Handling Food Corn in Southwest Indiana.
- Keeneth, Terry. Southwest Indiana
Food Corn Production and Resource Guide.
- Lauer, Joe. Management Needs for Specialty
Corn Hybrids.
- Pfister Hybrid Corn Company. 1998-99
Superkernoil Product Guide.
- U.S. Feed Grains Council, 1998-1999
Value-Enhanced Corn Quality Report.
____________________________________
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.
______________________________
Please note:
The partial budget analysis presented above
illustrates how to evaluate the potential economic returns
of waxy 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.
This is the premium offered by one firm responding to Illinois
Specialty Handler Survey.
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