Search

First Step to Achieving Uniform Plants

April 20, 2011
A 2-leaf differential among plants in this corn following corn field

By Roger Elmore, Department of Agronomy

One out of five plants in areas across the Iowa corn field struggled to emerge. The smaller plants had only three collared leaves, V3, at the time I saw them in late May 2008. The larger neighboring plants had at least five collared leaves, V5.  Plant—to-plant differences like this reduce yield potential. Weaker plants compete like weeds with the larger, more dominant plants reducing overall productivity. How could plant size differences like this happen?

Category: 
Crop: