Figure Out Planting Delay’s Effect On Yield

By: Mike Witt

The 2018 planting season for corn can be officially called “delayed and condensed” in the state of Iowa. April brought cold and snow well into what is usually the early corn planting time for farmers creating many challenges. These challenges in the spring will affect corn hybrids and farming decisions throughout the entire growing season. But before the panic button is pressed, farmers must first evaluate how these planting delays will affect their crop yields.

This evaluation is important, to understand what can be realistically expected from corn yields before the plants begin growing in earnest and the summer season takes a toll on that yield potential.

The planting date of cornfields is a vital component in determining overall yield potential for the season. While farmers have been pushing the planting window for corn earlier and earlier, it is still normal to expect maximum yield potential in corn without an early April planting date.