Planting Season is Upon Us: Here Are Some Quick Planting Considerations

Planting, in my opinion, is THE most important field operation. Planting in the optimal planting window and into good seedbed conditions will set the plant up for rapid growth and high yield potential. With planters beginning to move or sitting in waiting for better conditions, here are some planting considerations to consider.

1. Early Planting Dates: These dates have been updated by the USDA Risk Management Agency. For corn, the early planting date is April 10 (only a 1-day change). For soybean, the early planting dates are April 10 for the southern three crop reporting districts and April 15 for the northern six crop reporting districts (11 to 16-day change). This doesn’t necessarily mean it is advisable to plant earlier. Planting should be based on soil conditions, not the calendar date. Ideal soil conditions would be a temperature of 50^oF and rising and moisture at or below field capacity.  Consideration should also be given to when typical last spring frost dates occur. It is true you must plant the first time in order to replant, however, replanting almost always results in late planting.
2. Germination and Emergence: Germination and emergence can be impacted by planting conditions. Soybean can imbibe water and germinate at a lower temperature than corn, and corn can have more adverse effects from imbibitional chilling or cold injury. Corn also does not easily compensate for poor emergence, whereas soybean can compensate by increasing the number of pods per plant when plant populations are reduced. This leads us to the big question - which to plant first?
3. Planting Corn or Soybean First: This is a common question the last couple of years. Corn is much more tolerant of freezing/frost conditions because the growing point is below the soil surface until the 6^th leaf stage. Whereas soybeans’ growing point (apical meristem) is above the soil surface as soon as the cotyledons are above the soil surface. It is true cotyledons and hypocotyls are more cold tolerant than corn because of waxy surfaces plus high sugar content. However, as soon as the cotyledons open and the apical meristem grows, soybean are more susceptible than corn.

Mark’s opinion on whether to plant corn or soybean first is “it depends.” If planting conditions are conducive for rapid and timely planting. It doesn’t really matter which gets planted first. If it looks like planting could get delayed past mid-May, plant corn first to maintain as much yield potential as you can. Soybean yield potential drop less dramatically compared to corn when planting after mid-May.

Have a happy and safe planting season!