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Published on Wednesday, 30 November -0001 00:00
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We could consider planting already delayed if the goal was to plant small grain by the third week in April and corn by the first of May. Here is some discussion about small grain, corn and soybeans. Past experience on you own farm counts as you consider this information. And of course the weather for the rest of the growing season drives how things actually turn out along with the planting date. Hopefully we'll get on a more useful weather trend and this won't matter so much. Small grain The U of M Extension Small Grain Guide suggests for the area south of Fergus Fall the optimum date for planting small grain is the third week in April and the last planning date considered would be the second week of May. Research for Morris and Crookston show on an average yields decreased by 1 percent per day when planting was delayed past the optimum planting date. Growth and development are pushed with later planting dates and there is more chance that the crop will be hurt by warmer and drier weather during pollination and grain fill. When planting is delayed past the optimum seeding date, increasing the seeding rate by 1 percent per day of delay can help to compensate some of the yield loss. Corn
Related to corn, Dave Nicolai, Regional Office at Hutchinson shares the following information relating planting date to potential yield. This might be considered as farmers consider feed inventory projections, storage, farm budgets and marketing plans (listed as planting date and percentage yield): April 25, 100 percent; April 30, 99 percent; May 5, 97 percent; May 10, 94 percent; May 15, 91 percent; May 25, 88 percent; and May 30, 83 percent. Now retired, state Extension agronomy specialist Dale Hicks recommended, "Growers should stay-the-course with their original hybrid choices if they can plant corn by May 25." For planting May 25-May 31 use corn that is 5-7 days earlier in relative maturity. For planting corn from June 1-10 use corn varieties that are 8-15 days earlier. For June 11-15, use varieties that are 15 or more days earlier than normal. You may be able to use slightly longer maturities where the crop will be chopped for silage. Hicks would list as much a 24 percent reduction in potential yield for corn planted May 25-June 1. Soybeans For soybean yields, at mid-May planting dates we might see a 10 percent yield reduction; in the first half of June a 20 percent yield reduction; and for the last half of June a 40 percent yield reduction. The recommendation would be to use the same varieties originally planned up to June 10. From June 11-20 use varieties that are half a maturity unit earlier. From June 20-30 use soybean varieties that are 1 maturity unit earlier. U of M Extension soybean agronomist Seth Naeve shared an article recently about soybean seeding rates in Minnesota. He suggests the following seeding rates based on soybean maturity groups: Maturity Group II at 140,000 live seeds per acre; Maturity Group I at 150,000 live seeds per acre; Maturity Group 0 at 160,000 live seeds per acre; Maturity Group 00 at 170,000 live seeds per acre. Seeding rates are based on good planting conditions. Seeding rates should be increased if adverse seedbed conditions or iron chlorosis issues. Experience on your farm counts. For the full article, go to www.extension.umn.edu/cropenews or call (320) 255-6169. If things are rushed, put more thought in keeping pace for safety.
