It’s a good idea to start walking fields within 3 to 5 days of planting to see how well the crop is emerging at this point. Weather at the time of and shortly after planting really plays a role in the germination and emergence of corn. This spring we’re hearing from a few farmers who planted extremely early and made it work, while others are recovering from frost injury.
During germination, corn is particularly sensitive to low-temperature stress during germination, emergence, and seedling stages. A variety of soybean pathogens, like Pythium, are more prevalent in cool, wet soils. Cold soil temperatures can affect uniform emergence, consistent plant population and ultimately yield. We suggest taking field notes of the following:
- Make a list of the planting date for each field.
- Determine what hybrids or were planted where. Note the differences in “stress emergence” scores for the hybrids you planted.
- Also note where each soybean brand was planted. If soybeans are damping off, perhaps next season you should opt for seed-applied fungicides.
Seed selection is one of the most important decisions affecting yield. Latham has a team of Product Specialists who can help you simplify the decision-making process. Talk to your local Latham® representative for more information or contact us at 1.877.GO.LATHAM (1.877.465.2842).