Much of the early-planted corn in Minnesota the last two years wasn’t much to look at when it first emerged. Spacing between plants wasn’t uniform and final stand counts were lower than expected. But both 2002 and 2003 were “excellent corn production years for Minnesota growers,” said Dale Hicks, agronomist with the U of M Extension Service. The state average yield was a record 157 bushels in 2002 and an impressive 146 bushels per acre in 2003. In both years, much of the state’s corn acreage was planted before May 1. Uniform stands – both the spacing between plants and time of emergence – are important to give all plants equal competition for water and nutrients. However, non-uniform stands are productive and profitable because late-emerging plants do contribute to yield. According to Hicks there are two planting windows in Minnesota. The first is between April 15 and May 5; then there’s a higher probability of rainfall that stops field work. The second window for planting begins about May 15. “Times and durations of these planting windows vary every year, but the pattern is the same. For maximum profitability, don’t miss the first planting window,” Hicks said. More detailed information is available in an article Hicks wrote for Minnesota Crop eNews, at www.plpa.agri.umn.edu/extension/news%20releas es. Hicks can be contacted by e-mail at hicks004@umn.edu, or by calling (612) 625-1796.
