Some progress made in planting corn- finally! Producers have started planting the drier areas and most hope to be in full swing after we dry out from the rain tonight. Good news- we will have great deep soil moisture to help the corn crop in May and June. Bad news- corn prices have slipped and delays in planting mean some farmers are revisiting their planned corn acres. For maximum corn yields we need to plant as early as practical. This year ‘early’ will be closer to mid April for a number of Tennesseans.
* Since we didn’t plant much corn in March are we doomed? Not at all. We were spoiled last year on March planting. To put things into perspective, I looked through statewide monthly planting progress data for the past 11 years and realized that in only about 1 out of 3 years did we plant 10% or more of our corn acres in March. So, I feel somewhat better about March being a bust. Finicky spring weather is part of the normal cycle for Tennessee.
* How late can we plant before yields drop noticeably?? It depends on the year. We are currently in our ideal/optimal window for corn planting- roughly the first two weeks in April. Based on planting date data from recent years, noticeable yield decline in dryland corn starts the last week in April (about 17-23% less yield in years with weather patterns like 2010 and 2011) compared to early April corn. Growers who are irrigating have much more flexibility and can plant into May without issue.
* Plant deep enough to get good root development. I shoot for 2 inches and occasionally go slightly shallower ahead of rain.
* As tempting as it may be right now, don’t plant if the field is too wet. Furrows don’t close properly. Heavy, cloddy soil may not firm up around seed leaving air pockets in the furrow. Disk openers can smear or slick the sides of the furrow, which can harden off later and delay root movement out into the row middles.
* Row cleaners were not designed to be a tillage implement. Adjust them to move heavy trash off the furrow but your planter should not be chewing up the ground. Earlier this week, I passed some fields that had rough looking giant ‘mole runs’ over each row caused by aggressive row cleaners. The more ‘worked’ the soil is over the furrow the easier it is for heavy rains to pack the soil and possibly float the seed too shallow. If your burndown worked well and heavy residue is not an issue, use them sparingly.
