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Uniform emergence essential for optimal crop performance

An agronomist says achieving uniform crop emergence will be critical for Ohio farmers gearing up for spring planting. Grace Looker is with Bayer Crop Sciences.

“Corn plants that emerge around 24 hours of each other have the best yield potential possible. Soybeans have not had as much research done on them but as we’re starting to look at soybean planting and uniform soybean emergence, we’re finding very similar trends,” says Looker.

Historically, Looker says Ohio springs are wet, and saturated soils can prohibit uniform crop emergence.

“Because it reduces available oxygen to the plant which reduces growth and then that can also lead to slower photosynthesis, so the plants just get a late start and they won’t have as much vigor,” says Looker.

Looker says planting crops evenly apart and when ground temperatures are around 60 degrees is optimal for ensuring uniform crop emergence.

Audio: Grace Looker, Regional Agronomist, Bayer CropScience 

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