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Corn emergence study shows importance of uniformity

A product manager with Seed Consultants says many farmers focus on spacing when planting corn, but they should be more concerned about emergence.

Matt Hutcheson says a recent study by Seed Consultants found a noticeable difference in the yields of delayed crops.

“Plants that are late emergers are runts the entire season and could have very significant yield loss,” he says. “If there are delays as long as a week, it’s possible that plants won’t have a harvest-able year.”

The study showed an increase in yields as planting depth was increased from one inch to two inches, and another when increased from two inches to three inches.

He tells Brownfield farmers can do several things to get uniform planting depth.

“Down pressure is important and is often overlooked and can affect uniformity,” he says.

Hutcheson says planting speed, and checking the planter on a regular basis will also help.

Seed Consultants completed the corn emergence study in 2016 and 2017.

Audio: Matt Hutcheson, Seed Consultants