Released: March 25, 2005

Warm Spring Weather Prompts Early Corn Planting

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Recent mild weather has some Kansas farmers planting ... or at least thinking about planting corn early this year, a Kansas State University agronomist said.

“That’s not a bad idea, particularly if you’re aiming to get enough development on the plant for ears to start filling before mid-summer heat sets in during late July and early August,” said Dale Fjell, crop production specialist with K-State Research and Extension.

The problem with planting early, Fjell said, is that early-planted corn will usually be smaller, with less height, less leaf area and smaller ears. Also, soil temperatures can still be cool enough to hamper germination.

To counter such issues, he suggests that growers who are planting early increase their seeding rate.

Seeding rates vary across the state because of differences in average precipitation, Fjell said, but generally on dryland acres in eastern Kansas, the recommended seeding rate is 24,000 to 28,000 seeds per acre and in western Kansas, it’s 16,000 to 18,000 per acre.

The seeding rate on irrigated acres is typically recommended at 32,000 seeds per acre across the state, he said.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Mary Lou Peter
mlpeter@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News