An Approach to Selection of Variety and Planting Date in Corn Silage Production

The major purpose of this study is to make additional information available to the farm manager to improve the decision-making process relating to corn silage production. This study is primarily concerned with factors that influence planting date and variety selection. With-in the framework of decision theory analysis, a Bayesian approach is employed to calculate the best time to plant and the best variety to plant. The approach is used both with and without the possible occurrence of harmful spring frosts. The seventy growing degree day method is employed as a criterion for planting date selection. The planting dates are matched with four different season length corn varieties to formulate the courses of action available to the farm manager. The states of nature that may confront a grower are the degrees of damage associated with various frost intensities