By Louis Sutton
AgVenture Regional Product Manager
As I have been traveling around in recent weeks, I have seen fields that have been planted for weeks with the seed sitting in cold, wet soils. Other fields I’ve seen are being planted just because it’s that time of year. In both situations, seed is being planted into cold wet soils, with the soil temperatures well below the needed temperature to properly germinate the seed. In some cases, the seed has germinated on the few warm days we’ve had, but that can still cause other issues.
Effects of confused corn.
Corn seedling grows parallel with the ground.
If you’ve already planted and are now faced with low soil temperatures and wet fields, now is the time to start scouting them. You should look for rotted seeds, insect damaged seeds, confused corn syndrome, side wall compaction and poor emergence. If you run into any of these conditions, your field(s) will need scouting all year – as it’s likely yield-limiting diseases will show up later in the growing season.
If you have yet to begin planting, remember this: There is no substitute for starting the planting season off on the right foot. Even if you plant into the best conditions, we all know that Mother Nature has a way of throwing us many curveballs. Instead of striking out with your yields this fall, proper management and guidance from your local AgVenture Yield Specialist can still make sure your crop is a home run.