Corn seed depth crtiical to yield

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

Here's an interesting and short piece on how deep you should plant your corn and how important it is to uniform plant emergence and yield.  A spindly corn plant acts like a weed to it's healthier siblings.

About 2", depending on conditions, is best for corn seed depth.  Never less than 1 1/2".  Planter settings are vital.

 http://www.extension.iastate.edu/CropNews/2011/0420elmore.htm

[nwobcw]

   Here it all depends on conditions in this heavy clay.   1 1/2" is max for me.  A neighbor likes to plant deep and usually has to rotary hoe the corn, cussing the whole time.

[ZR2]

Southern IA, we usually plant at minimum 2-2.25." I have already been at 2.5 -3. I worry about not deep enough than too deep.

The other year had a neighbor that had a problem with his planter...he was trying to go for a depth of about 2 inches....well on two row units the depth control was broke and the planter was putting that seed just about as deep as it could. When the corn came up (when he discovered his problem with the planter) those 2 rows that were burying the seed came up about 1 or 2 days later, but the interesting thing was, every seed in those 2 rows that was being buried was there growing....where the other 10 rows had bigger problems with un-even emergence.

Another interesting point was that those 2 rows that came up later actually pollinated/tasseled before the other 10 rows. That tells me that the deeper seed continues to grow when you get early cold snaps that may stunt shallower planted corn. 

Always plant into consistent moisture....usually you have to go deeper to find that moisture which is why I am never shallower than 2"

[hardnox604008]

After 20 yrs + of careful residue management our soils are a lot less prone to crusting than they were a few years ago and that helps. But honetly if they do crust I'm not sure it matters if the seed is shallower and in the crusty layer or under it.

But I'd rather go close to 3" deep than get it too shallow. Took me a lot of years to learn that and it seems counterintuitive but I'll stand 100% behind that.

The newer seed treatments also help, I think.

fwiw, h

[nwobcw]

   Hard that just goes to show you how farming is different all over.   After years of losing sleep over planting depth I have it set for 1 1/4" in the hardest ground  (ends etc.) and don't look back.