The below is a look at an on-farm planting depth study conducted by our sales representative from southeast Iowa. Photos were taken in the same field, the same location, planted the same day with the same hybrid. The only variation between each is planting depth. The hybrid shown is LH 6477 VT2 PRO planted on May 12 and the photos are from the last week of June.
Planting depths are as follows:
- On top of the ground to ¼-inch planting depth
- ¾ to 1-inch planting depth
- 1 to 1 ¼-inch planting depth
- 2 to 2 ¼-inch planting depth
Those planted at optimal depth have much better nodal roots and root mass to anchor that plant into the rapid growth stages we’re observing now.