Why Has Corn Taken So Long To Emerge in 2020?

Some corn was planted around 10th of April. A much larger acreage got in between the 21st and 27th. The rest got in during the first part of May. Corn planted to date has gone in under very good soil conditions for the most part. The remainder of the corn will be likely planted after the 21st of May due to recent rains that will keep planters out of the fields.

 

Regardless of the planting date so far, little or none of that corn has emerged. Why? Its primarily do to the overly cool conditions through April and the first part of May. While the seed has been taking many days to emerge, the seed remains in good condition. Planting was accomplished into very fit soils. While there was sufficient moisture for good seed-soil contact and initiating the germination sequence, the soils were not water saturated which is the biggest culprit to seed integrity in the soil. While the cool conditions have slowed emergence they have also reduced insect and disease pests from attacking the planted seed.

 

The Crop Heat Units (CHU’s) system has two major uses in Ontario. Firstly, corn hybrids are selected for a farm based on the region of the province. The CHU’s have been determined for regions based on long term temperature averages experienced in different geography’s of Ontario.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.