Too much emphasis placed on early corn planting in Indiana?

 Typical knowledge says that the prime planting “window” to maximise corn yields in a lot of Indiana opens about April 20 and closes about Might 10. This “window” usually opens about one week later throughout the northern tier of Indiana counties (later warmup) and about one week earlier throughout the southern tier of Indiana counties (earlier warmup). Over the previous 10 years, the tempo of corn planting has usually accelerated starting about April 20 and tapers off towards the top of Might.

 Current rains throughout Indiana, though not extreme, have delayed the beginning of the 2022 corn planting season. As of April 24, the USDA-NASS estimated that just one% of the state’s corn crop acreage was “within the floor” (about 3 weeks behind the 10-year common). Continued rainfall occasions this previous week will maintain most planters within the shed and the present short-term forecast for much more rain threatens to additional delay planting across the state. The fearmongers and pessimists amongst us are already worrying in regards to the penalties of a delayed planting season and the danger that imposes on the crop’s yield potential in 2022.

 However, maintain on, let’s take into consideration this… How absolute are the damaging penalties of late planted corn? How precisely does planting date predict statewide corn yield anyway? Does late planting in and of itself assure decrease than regular yields? Good questions, however the impact of planting date on statewide common corn yield is just not clearcut.

 Evaluation of USDA-NASS crop progress experiences over the previous 31 years (USDA-NASS, 2022) signifies there may be NOT a robust relationship between planting date and absolute yield and even p.c departure from pattern yield on a statewide foundation for Indiana.

 Statistically, planting dates solely account for about 10-11% of the variability in pattern yield departures from yr to yr. Such a weak relationship displays the truth that numerous different components, along with planting date, additionally have an effect on yield in any given yr.

 Why is it that each corn agronomist value their salt preaches in regards to the significance of well timed planting and but the statewide statistical information counsel that planting date accounts for less than 10% of the variability in statewide yields from yr to yr? Let’s look extra intently at this obvious conundrum.

 It’s true that RELATIVE grain yield potential of corn declines with delayed planting after about Might 1. Estimated yield loss per day with delayed planting varies from about 0.3% per day early in Might to about 1% per day by the top of Might. Relative grain yield potential goes down with delayed planting due to numerous components together with a shorter rising season, higher insect & illness strain, and better danger of sizzling, dry situations throughout pollination.

 Nevertheless, the excellent news is that planting date is just one of many yield influencing components for corn. What’s vital to know is that absolutely the yield response to delayed planting is relative to the utmost attainable yield in a given yr.

 In different phrases, if all the opposite yield influencing components work collectively to find out that the utmost attainable yield this yr for the optimum planting date is 220 bu/ac, then the consequence of a 10-day planting delay past April 30 (at 0.3% lower per day) could be a yield potential of about 213 bu/ac (i.e., 220 bushel potential minus [10 days x 0.3%] resulting from delayed planting). Nevertheless, if all the opposite yield influencing components work collectively to find out that the utmost attainable yield this yr for the optimum planting date is simply 150 bu/ac, then the consequence of a 10-day planting delay past Might 1 (at 0.3% lower per day) could be a yield potential of about 146 bu/ac (i.e., 150 bu/ac potential minus [10 days x 0.3%] resulting from delayed planting). Make sense?

 Consequently, it’s attainable for early-planted corn in a single yr to yield greater than, lower than, or equal to later-planted corn in one other yr relying on the precise mixture of yield influencing components for annually. Farmers know this to be true as a result of many have had June planted crops yield higher than any crop they’ve ever had, as a result of the rest of the rising season following delayed planting was extraordinarily favorable for crop progress and growth.

 Lastly, since delayed planting by itself is not any assure of decrease grain yield, there may be little cause to vary any crop inputs due to delayed planting, apart from seeding charges. Delayed planting typically coincides with hotter soil temperatures in comparison with early planting. Consequently, stand institution could also be extra profitable with delayed planting, leading to established plant populations which might be nearer to precise seeding charges than the standard 90 to 95% success price with earlier planting dates. So, you may take into account barely lowering your seeding charges if planting is delayed to late Might or past.