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RISKS TO CORN SURVIVAL WITH EARLY PLANTING

04/11/2016
RISKS TO CORN SURVIVAL WITH EARLY PLANTING
  • Use soil temperature to guide crop planting
  • Cool soils may slow or distort corn growth (see photo)
  • Slow growth can make corn vulnerable to seed and seedling pathogens
  • Cool soils may also lead to herbicide injury

Our number one concern with planting date usually is whether soils are warm enough to allow emergence of the crop.  As this year again demonstrates, the calendar is an unreliable indicator for the best planting date. 

For corn, we typically target minimum soil temperatures (4 inch soil depth) between 50 and 55°F.  Some agronomists prefer to see the soil temperature above 60°F.  The soil temperature should be stable or rising.  Remember that, early in the season, one cold rain shower can cause soil temperatures to plunge.  Fortunately, improvements in early crop vigor, and use of certain seed treatments, have frequently allowed us to get by with early planting, or even profit by it. 

Seed that is placed in a cool, moist environment will soak up (imbibe) moisture, even though it may not be warm enough to trigger germination. Some damage to cell membranes inevitably occurs during this process.  Research has also shown that cell mitochondria may also be affected under these conditions.  Rapid water uptake, under cool conditions, can reduce the protective nature of the seed coat, damage some embryonic cells, and allow entry of seed-rotting pathogens.  Usually, if warm soils allow the seed to germinate rapidly and the seedling continues rapid growth, the developing corn seedling can often repair the early damage and escape problems from these pathogens.

A similar situation exists for crops that successfully emerge and begin growth, only to be slowed by a later period of cool and/or cloudy weather. Root and stem pathogens find this to be ideal conditions for infection.  Actually, any type of stress that slows growth or diverts resources away from growth can cause increased disease infection.

Another common effect associated with chilling injury of corn seed and seedlings is distorted growth.  Corn seed that imbibes cold water will often exhibit varieties of distorted growth.  The most dramatic effect is to have the coleoptile shoot curl back on itself or just grow the wrong direction.  We also often see the radicle or coleoptile fail to emerge or emerge and then stop growing.  In some cases, the coleoptile sheath will rupture prematurely, as if it hit a compaction layer.  Be aware that it is not only cold, moist soils that can cause early corn growth problems.  Research has also shown that wide swings of approximately 30°F in day-night temperatures can also cause distorted growth.

Herbicides can injure corn seed or seedlings that are in cool, moist soils.  A seed that germinates and grows rapidly can avoid a selective herbicide’s harmful effects by metabolizing and breaking down the product.  But, if emergence and growth is slowed by cool soil or air temperatures, the seed or seedling may be unable to effectively metabolize the herbicide, and injury results.  Following corn emergence, a period of rapid growth allows equally rapid uptake of the selective herbicide.  Then if a period of slowed growth (from cool or cloudy weather) intervenes, this can result in increased crop injury.

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