We are officially in #grow16! Many farmers and the Latham Research Team are breathing a sigh of relief now that we’re seeing the crops take off. We’re especially seeing rapid growth in the stress wheel that was planted by the Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds Sales interns.

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Thanks for tuning into Week Five of our “Ask the Agronomist” Audiocasts. To listen to Mark’s response to this week’s question about replanting corn, play the audio file below.

Q: How late can I replant when I’m replanting my corn?

A: Deciding whether or not to replant is never an easy decision. The cost of replanting is often the deciding factor. Many seed companies, like Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, have shorter maturity hybrids available.

There are several key factors that can determine a field’s overall yield potential. Iowa State University Extension has a publication called the Replant Checklist that will help you estimate the surviving plant stands, as well as estimate the yield based on planting dates and expected yield you could get.

Estimating Yield Potential for a Replant

If you have corn planted between May 25 and June 5, you can expect 65 to 70% of overall yield potential for that field. However, if the corn was planted more towards the middle of June, overall yield expectations go down to about 50% of normal yield.

If a farmer decides to replant, make sure the fields are dry enough. There are still advantages to planting corn in the middle of June in certain areas, but each individual will have to define his/her own yield expectations. If corn is planted at the end of May, yield can be up to 65 to 70% of normal yield. If your field average is around 200 bushels per acre, you can expect to get 130 to 140 bushels per acre.

Replanting Corn or Switching to Soybeans

There are definitely situations where replanting is a no-brainer, such as small areas of a field that were drowned out or damaged by insects. When an entire field of corn is lost, it might be best in this stage of the planting season to replace the corn with soybeans. However, take into consideration what herbicides have been applied to the field so that your soybeans don’t die.

There is certainly still time to receive good yields with soybeans. Most of the time in late May, we can achieve soybean yields of 85 to 90% of typical yields. June 20 to 25 is a target date for switching soybean maturities, depending on location. Soybeans can be planted into the beginning of July and still achieve decent yields.

If you have a question about what you’re seeing in the fields, feel free to ask! Send your questions via Twitter to @LathamSeeds, in a private message on Facebook or call our office at 1-877-GO-LATHAM (1.877.465.2842).

As always, you can access timely agronomic tips and information for your geographic location on TheFieldPosition.com. New articles are posted each week day on our blog.  You can even search for “topics” by simply typing key words into the search bar on the upper right-hand corner.

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s Ask the Agronomist. We’ll be back again next week to field all of your questions during the 2016 growing season.

There are literally a thousand variables that affect how good of a crop you raise. Many of these variables, like the weather, are out of your control. So why not control the ones you can?

The decisions you make now can influence yield before any seed goes in the ground. That’s why I’m sharing the factors I believe you can control to produce the best corn yields in the year ahead:

1. Hybrid Selection. Selecting the right hybrid for a given field / soil type is probably the most important decisions a farmer makes. That’s why at Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, we have developed a FieldXField^TM worksheet to guide our customers through a proven process.
2. Seedbed Preparation / Planting Date. Remember that early planting dates only have the potential to out-yield later plantings if conditions are right. Wait to plant until soil temps are consistently above 50° F and are expected to rise. Don’t “mud it in” just to be the first one in the field! Yield doesn’t significantly decline until later in the planting season, so practice patience.
3. Planting Depth.The optimal planting depth for corn is 2 inches – for good reasons. If you plant to shallow, corn plants may germinate too quickly and then shut down if ground temperatures drop. Shallow planting also prohibits plants from developing the root system needed for plant health or stalk strength. If you plant too deep, emergence may be delayed.
4. Planting Speed. While racing against time, some farmers have a tendency to plant at too high of speed. Planting speed affects the accuracy of seed placement, so travel between 4 and 5 miles per hour to encourage the best seed-to-soil contact.
5. Soil Fertility. Accurate soil samples are necessary, so you can be sure the plants are getting the food they need. There are 16 essential nutrients for plant development, and each one is important in various amounts. A proper balance of macro- and micro-nutrients is necessary for optimal performance. Keep in mind that starter fertilizer, put down at planting time, can help get the crop off a quick start.

As you know, there are about one thousand factors that determine the yield in any crop year. Continual crop improvement, including higher yield, is a common desire among farmers.

Many of the decisions you make that influence yield the most are made before any seed goes in the ground, so today I’m sharing with you the Top 10 factors I believe are most critical to increasing corn yields in the year ahead:

1. Hybrid Selection. Not all hybrids are created equal, so be sure to select the hybrids that are best suited to your need – and your ground. Some hybrids are better for suited for silage or grain. Some racehorse hybrids have different fertility requirements. Be sure to select the hybrid for each field in the correct maturity.
2. Crop Rotation. Crop rotation requires more planning today. It’s not enough to rotate between crops. Remember to also rotate traits and chemistries. Consider management practices that include weed control and residue management.
3. Planting Depth and Row Spacing. Planting depth should be between 1.5 and 2 inches but no shallower. Even planting depth with no seed bounce is imperative to a good stand and high yields. Uneven emergence can create uneven competition between plants that continues throughout the year. Plus, uneven tasseling can occur. The crop canopy should absorb about 95% of available sunlight so some hybrids with a more upright leaf angle may benefit from narrower rows.
4. Soil testing and fertility. Accurate soil samples are necessary, so you can be sure the plants are getting the food they need. There are 16 essential nutrients for plant development, and each one is important in various amounts. A proper balance of macro- and micro-nutrients is necessary for the optimum use of applied fertilizers.
5. Timely planting. Planting conditions greatly impact emergence and stand. Remember that early planting dates only have the potential to out-yield later plantings if conditions are right. Don’t “mud it in” just to be the first one in the field! Yield doesn’t significantly decline until later in the planting season, so practice patience. Plant when soil temps are consistently above 50° F and are expected to rise.
6. Scouting Fields. Crop scouting begins at the planter. Check planting depth and then emergence. Mid-season crop scouting is especially important because different insect and disease pressures become evident. tissue sampling, fungicide application timing, and finally find out when the field is ready to harvest.
7. Weed Pressure and Herbicide Selections. Manage troublesome weeds through crop rotation and other tactics. Know what weeds you are targeting, so you can apply the correct herbicide and rate. Follow up on applications for missed weeds or respray conditions.
8. Fungicide applications. Some hybrids in some growing conditions will benefit from one or two applications of a fungicide to keep the plant growing and healthy. You’ll see in the Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds’ product guide that we recommend fungicide for certain hybrids. Remember, the application timing is key for maximum benefit.
9. Timely Harvest. Everyone would like to harvest dry corn but sometimes that’s not practical for maximum yield. Scout your fields often to prioritize fields for harvest. Check for stalk lodging potential. Determine stalk integrity with the pinch and push tests. Are the plants getting “rooty,” or leaning and lodging from the root? Conduct a shake test to make sure the ears are still hanging on with less chance of ear droppage and plant health to allow for delayed harvest if necessary.
10. Soil Prep for Next Year. Soil tillage or preparation for next year’s crop should help improve soil tilth. Avoid working wet soils to prevent compaction and to provide a consistent seed bed across the field to help achieve good seed-to-soil contact.

Related Posts:

• Resolving to Increase Soybean Yields
• Increasing Your Bottom Line
• Achieving Record-Setting Yields in 2015