Des Moines, Iowa
February 25, 2008
The trend toward planting corn
earlier continues to grow. The reasons include increasing farm
size and the need to cover a large number of acres within a
shorter window of time at the beginning of the season and
avoiding potential late-season drought and pest problems at the
end. According to scientists with Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont
business, this trend presents growers with several crop
management challenges that can impact crop productivity
significantly.
Select best planting date
"Selecting the best planting date is the most critical decision
growers must make to enable a crop to have a successful start,"
says Imad Saab, Ph.D., Pioneer
research scientist. "Growers should pay close attention to
weather forecasts and consider specific field conditions and
characteristics before deciding on a planting date.
"Knowing the history of your fields - what planting dates have
worked, the soil type and drainage characteristics - is very
beneficial," says Saab. "Growers should consider waiting for
warmer conditions before planting fields that are not as well
drained or those with a track record of early-season insect
pressure or seedling blight."
Saab cautions that growers may not pay enough attention to
near-term forecasts. Growers who plant ahead of an inclement
weather event, such as snow or heavy rain, are typically at a
higher risk of losing stand to stress. "We often hear of growers
who speed up planting just ahead of a snowstorm to get the crop
in the ground," says Saab. "There often are significant
disadvantages to getting a crop in the ground just ahead of a
cold spell. The corn crop typically needs several days of good
weather after planting for successful crop emergence. In fact,
growers tell us they usually have better stands if they shut
down the planter at least a couple of days ahead of a cold
event."
Saab also cautions growers not to plant if soil temperature is
below 50 degrees.
Plant well-drained, low-residue fields first
Fields that drain better also warm up faster, which is much more
conducive to rapid emergence and seedling growth.
"Growers planting corn early should try to avoid fields with
drainage issues," says Saab. "Besides being typically colder,
waterlogged fields can hurt stand establishment severely, since
corn has very little tolerance to flooding. Fields with better
drainage can be planted earlier and give crops a better chance
of being successful."
Select stress-tolerant hybrids
Research has shown that corn crops experiencing stress
immediately after planting can suffer significant stand losses.
Saab points out that choosing hybrids with good early-season
stress tolerance is an effective way to help offset these
losses. Saab says Pioneer puts all corn hybrids through rigorous
stress tests in multiple sites across North America. "We plant
our hybrids early in a range of stressful conditions including
no-till and corn on corn," Saab says. "We also test our hybrids
in proprietary lab stress tests designed to simulate highly
stressful conditions.
"We test for stress emergence, which is the genetic ability to
emerge and establish stand under less than optimal conditions,"
explains Saab. "We assign each hybrid a 1 to 9 stress emergence
score which is listed in our product catalogs. Hybrids with a
higher score are typically better suited for early planting or
planting into colder or high-residue seedbeds."
Saab says Pioneer is making genetic improvements continually in
the ability to establish stands under stress.
"We're using biotechnology and molecular breeding tools to
identify genes associated with stress emergence," Saab says. "We
have made significant genetic improvements in this critical
trail, and these tools will help accelerate genetic gain for
early-season stress tolerance."
Effective seed treatment
Seedling pathogens such as Pythium and Fusarium often are more
problematic in early planting conditions if the seedlings are
weakened by cold or waterlogging. Saab says to combat this,
Pioneer offers Dynasty® fungicide (azoxystrobin) plus a
seed-applied insecticide. This treatment also includes the
standard Maxim® XL fungicide and a polymer that improves
plantability and reduces dust-off. Pioneer research has shown
this combination is the premier seed treatment for corn stand
establishment in the industry.
"Insecticide seed treatments have proven to be very effective at
protecting stands in stressful environments," Saab said.
"Although these are insecticides, they also protect against
seedling disease by reducing insect feeding and depriving
pathogens of points of entry. These provide effective control of
secondary insects such as wireworms, seed corn maggots and white
grubs. However, our research has shown that higher rates of ISTs
may be needed to maximize control of these insects under heavy
infestations. These insects tend to be active early in the
season and can cause significant stand reductions, especially if
emergence is slow due to stress."
For further information on early corn planting, contact your
local Pioneer sales professional. In addition to your sales
professional, Pioneer offers a network of agronomists to provide
assistance.
Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is the world's leading
source of customized solutions for farmers, livestock producers
and grain and oilseed processors. With headquarters in Des
Moines, Iowa, Pioneer provides access to advanced plant genetics
in nearly 70 countries.
DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded
in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable
solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for
people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont
offers a wide range of innovative products and services for
markets including agriculture and food; building and
construction; communications; and transportation.
® Registered trademarks of Pioneer Hi-Bred.
Dynasty® and Maxim® XL are trademarks of a Syngenta Group
Company. |
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