Some corn fields where corn has emerged, the coleoptile and first leaf appear pale yellow to gray or transparent. The weather over the last few weeks has been cool, slowing crop development. Pale or transparent corn leaves are often a result of cool, wet conditions. Plant metabolism slows, resulting in an inability to absorb nutrients…
Early planted corn often faces the risk of chilling injury. This occurs when the seed is exposed to cold soil and water temperatures 6 to 24 hours after planting. As the seed imbibes water and begins germination, the kernels will swell and expand. This can cause damage by stretching or rupturing cell membranes and causing…
1) Shake or roll pail before opening. Product must be fluffed up after settling during shipping. 2) When applying, spread and mix product into seed (don’t dump the scoop or pail in a pile). 3) More is not better! This product is wax based and too much product leads to clumping. Kirk Van Will, CCA-ON,…
The term “Relative Maturity” is often used when discussing corn and soybean seed. It is best defined as a criteria or process to compare or group hybrids and varieties based on physiological maturity. This is extremely important to understand when creating your cropping plans as you assign hybrids or varieties to your fields. It is…
Don’t hit the panic button yet, we still have plenty of time. As Kirk discussed in his article last week, we still have 7 weeks until the end of May, which leaves us plenty of time to get the crop in. Growing hybrids that range in both maturity and flowering date is one of the…
Rapid, uniform emergence (all your crop up in 12 hours) is one of the key factors in setting your corn crop up for maximum yield. There are only a few requirements you need in the seed zone to set the crop up right – sufficient and uniform soil moisture, soil temperature, seed to soil contact…
With renewed interested in planting corn comes additional corn-on-corn acres. The continuous corn yield penalty is a well know phenomenon, however, why the penalty exists is not well understood. Research at the Illinois State University identified three main factors which may help when positioning fields for corn-on-corn acres. Common belief in the countryside is that…
When was the last time you climbed up to check on your grain inventory? With these cold, snowy days and brisk winds, there might be a good chance that you have snow sitting on top of your grain. The good news is with this cold weather, it is likely still sitting there as snow. If…
Many fields this past season showed signs of Northern Corn Leaf Blight (NCLB). The lesions of NCLB appear as long elliptical (2-15 cm) grayish-green or tan streaks, usually found on the lower leaves first. As the disease progresses, the lesions will usually merge together forming large blighted regions. In worst cases, the entire leaf will…
Corn harvest is just around the corner. Harvest maturity (occurring around 25% grain moisture) usually refers to the point at which harvest and mechanical loss are at a minimum. Before this happens, corn develops a black layer which is located at the base of the kernel opposite to the embryo. Typically this occurs approximately 60…