Corn planting has progressed at a rapid pace (from 7% to 72% complete in the last two weeks!) and with the warm temperatures; emergence has been rapid in many areas.
Extension Agronomist Greg Roth points out development is coming along nicely as well with some corn the approaching V3 stage. One interesting thing this year is that corn has developed a good green color early without going through the yellow phase that often happens in cool springs.
Take time now to observe some of the stands and use that to fine tune your management in the future. Our planting technology has come a long way and many of the major stand issues are not as prevalent as they were in the past. Nevertheless there still are issues out there to be on the lookout for.
Wildlife damage can result in seeds dug up or sprouts pulled out. This is often associated with crows, wild turkeys, or chipmunks. Hairpinning in residue is caused when the seed is placed in residue in the seed slot. With no seed to soil contact, germination and emergence are poor. Row cleaners have helped to eliminate this but it still can be an issue. Fertilizer damage can result in stunted plants, skips in rows, and burning on root tips when there is no sign of insect feeding. This is often associated with high rates (greater than 10 lbs N + K2O on seed) of popup fertilizers and dry or sandy soil conditions.
Also look for excessive doubles or skips which can be caused by worn or misadjusted planter meters or other planter parts. Finally look out for a variation in emergence which can be caused by inconsistent seed depth or hairpinning. This is often related to variation in residue, planting speed and shallower planting.