Cold Rain May Hurt Newly Planted Corn

(Hoosier Ag Today) –  We saw a good deal of planting take place this week but now rain and cold temperatures have set in.

This is not a good combination for newly planted fields, says Rod King, agronomist with Brodbeck Seeds. “Planting into cold and wet is never good,” King told HAT.

He was pleased to see a good deal of  planting take place around the state this week and even with the threat of cooler weather it was good to get the seed in the ground. “Mother nature gave us a couple of good days to get crops planted and I am happy with that,” he stated.

Going forward, King says it may be a good idea to wait for more favorable weather conditions, “I never tell farmers  when to plant or not to plant. But there is a risk to planting in these cold and wet conditions.” He said, if the first water a seed takes in is cold, “it really messes up germination.”

Purdue also reported an increased insect level this week, and King says scouting will be necessary very soon.

“People really need to be paying attention to fields that were late to be burned down and had a lot of green material out there,” he said. “Those would be fields to pay a lot of attention to as the crop comes up. Scout intensively and watch for black cutworm and armyworm feeding.