Among the top 10 most discussed (and cussed) topics at the Chat ‘n Chew Cafe during corn harvest season is the grain test weight being reported from corn fields in the neighborhood.
116 articles tagged "corn".
Fancy colored yield maps are fine for verifying grain yields at the end of the harvest season, but bragging rights for the highest corn yields are established earlier than that down at the Main Street Cafe, on the corner of 5th and Earl.
It is important to continue to scout for diseases in both corn and soybeans. Recent rains have created favorable environmental conditions for the development of foliar diseases in both crops. In our scouting rounds this week we continue to find gray leaf spot, northern corn leaf blight, and tar spot in corn (Figure 1 and 3), and frogeye leaf spot, downy mildew and Septoria brown spot in soybean (Figure 2). In addition, we continue to add counties with active tar spot and southern rust in Indiana. The most frequent question I have received is, “Should we make a fungicide application?” My response – What diseases are you finding in your field? What is your hybrid/variety susceptibility and field history? What growth stage? Are you irrigating? A fungicide application can be effective at reducing disease and protecting yield, but there are a number of factors that need to consider: the field[Read More…]
Many locations in Indiana recently experienced rainfall totals in excess of 5 inches in a relatively short period of time. The heavy rainfall has resulted in significant water movement through the soil profile, saturated soils, and some significant flooding and ponding in certain areas.
In some parts of the state, delayed planting – or re-planting – of corn is a reality. Some producers may be attempting to switch to shorter day hybrids, including some without desired insect traits, including rootworm-specific Bt traits.
Over the last couple weeks in central Indiana, average air temperatures have increased by 28% to an average of 78°F and then again decreased by 33% to an average of 52°F.
Forecasts of unusually low temperatures in late May or early June can set off warning bells for corn growers and lead to fearmongering about frost damage to young corn.
As much of the corn across the state of Indiana has emerged and is beginning early vegetative growth, it is important to understand the characteristics of these early growth stages and what is happening in the plant at this specific time. The VE growth stage is defined when the coleoptile breaks through the soil surface. The number of calendar days that this takes to occur is directly related to soil temperature. As farmers continue to push corn planting earlier and earlier, emergence can take much longer, which heightens the probability of corn seedling exposure to cooler temperatures and stress. As the coleoptile emerges, sunlight disrupts the mesocotyl (a white, tubular, root tissue between the seed and the base of the coleoptile) which fixes the depth of the corn growing point (~3/4 inch below the soil surface). In addition, through continued leaf expansion inside the coleoptile, the coleoptile tip is ruptured,[Read More…]
Due to the recent cold wet weather, corn planted in April has either struggled to emerge or the corn that did emerge may have been injured by frost events or it looks bad because of the cold weather.
Uniformly adequate soil moisture at seeding depth is important for assuring rapid and uniform germination of a newly planted corn crop.
