A few precautions can help growers avoid stressing emerging corn -
- Choose hybrids with good stress emergence and high-residue suitability scores where needed.
- Protect your stands with fungicide and insecticide seed treatments. Pioneer offers valuable additives through the Pioneer Premium Seed Treatment program. Ask your sales professionals for details or or learn more at the corn seed treatment and soybean seed treatment sections on pioneer.com.
- Check the weather before planting. If a cold front or winter storm is moving in, wait.
- If you can’t wait, at least shut it down a day or two before the storm hits. Imad Saab, Pioneer research scientist in crop genetics, research and development, reports Pioneer experience shows that fields planted a few days ahead of a cold, wet event typically have better stands than ones planted just before the storm.
- Plant well-drained, low-residue fields first. Avoid working the soil when wet to minimize compaction and sidewall smearing.
- Experience shows corn emerges best when planted at a uniform depth into well-drained soils with adequate moisture, good seed-to-soil contact and a near-term warming trend.