Smart Corn Maize: CERZOO alongside innovation for more efficient agriculture

In the heart of the Po Valley, CERZOO – the experimental agri-livestock farm of the Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – continues to be a key reference point for advanced agronomic experimentation. Among the most recent activities is the collaboration with Bayer Crop Science for the evaluation of Smart Corn, an innovative short-stature maize hybrid designed to meet the new challenges of modern agriculture.

The trial, launched in 2024 and still ongoing, is carried out by the Department of Sustainable Crop Production Sciences. The comparison between Smart Corn and a conventional maize hybrid is being conducted using two different planting layouts, with the aim of analyzing eco-physiological, productive, and qualitative parameters under real field conditions.

Smart Corn, a key component of Bayer’s Preceon Smart Corn System, stands out for its compact structure, which allows for better light interception, greater resilience to environmental stress, and improved silage quality. These features make it particularly suited to agriculture focused on efficiency and sustainability.

This initiative is part of CERZOO’s applied research efforts, supporting varietal innovation and the agroecological transition—a concrete commitment to making crop systems more sustainable without compromising the productivity needs of agricultural supply chains.