Monthly Archives: April 2011

Don’t Get “Pizza Mouth” Planting

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Rich Lee (Iowa)

Ever bite into a hot slice of pizza before it was cool enough to eat and burn the roof of your mouth? I have, and it is a condition I call “pizza mouth.” The same thing happens during planting each spring. Typically, in the excitement to start planting it is common to have most – but not the entire – field ready to go. Still, we move ahead and plant, including those areas that are not quite ready yet. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Corn, Emergence, Iowa, Planting | View Comments

Earth Day: A Time for Reflection, Preparation and Celebration

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Chris Cook (National)

How many times have you heard “it’s a small world”?  Certainly there are things that make it seem that way: the internet, cable news channels, cell phones and other technologies.  The truth is that the world is small, and shrinking.  Today versus a generation ago, we have fewer acres of arable land, less water, fossil fuel and a population that continues to grow in size and rate of consumption. At Syngenta, we think about this every day.  We are constantly … Continue reading →

Posted in Disease, Genetic diversity, Insects, Pests, Water Optimization, Yield | View Comments

Cool Conditions Mean Slow Corn Emergence

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Mark Ellis (Kansas)

Many growers in Kansas are concerned about corn that was planted about two weeks ago but has yet to emerge. Besides the cool temperatures, many locations have experienced a heavy, pounding rain that has caused a crust to form on the soil. Because of this situation many people are thinking about using a rotary hoe to help the corn emerge. Do I need to hoe my corn fields? Perhaps. While there is truly a crust on many fields, the actual … Continue reading →

Posted in Corn, Kansas, Planting | View Comments

Growing Degree Days to Determine Crop Emergence

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Mark Lawson (Indiana)

We are told that patience is a virtue, but in mid-April with rain every three or four days and cool temperatures (soil temperature one recent morning was 50 degrees), patience is a commodity in short supply in farm country. The weather has its own agenda and no interest in ours. Right now the weather is ranging from a low in the 40s to a high in the upper 60s. That makes the mean temperature about 50 degrees. One formula for … Continue reading →

Posted in Corn, Great Lakes, Indiana, Planting, Syngenta | View Comments

Soil Temperature and Crop Emergence

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Mark Ellis (Kansas)

When should we expect to see the first corn emergence this spring?  The answer to that question will come from watching soil temperatures.  Generally, corn will germinate and begin to grow at a soil temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but at this minimal temperature point, the progress will be very slow. With a seed bed at 50 degrees Fahrenheit, it will typically take almost three weeks before we can expect to see plants emerge. Fortunately, weather changes and soil warms … Continue reading →

Posted in Corn, Kansas | View Comments

Planning for Planting

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Barry Soliday (Illinois)

One of the many reasons I enjoy working with growers is their eternal optimism for having the best growing season ever. With that being said, part of having a great growing season is to plan for it. With current fall corn commodity prices around $6.20, producers should be asking themselves “How can I extract more bushels per acre?”  One area to examine is corn population. The table below is a great tool for growers to use to determine the optimum … Continue reading →

Posted in Corn, Hybrid selection, Illinois, Planting, Planting Population | View Comments