Corn Planting Time? April 20, 2021

Cooler This Week

Delaware County has experienced cooler than average temperatures and received between .5 and 1 inch of rain in the past 7 days. Resulting soil temperatures observed on Tuesday 4/20 averaged 7° cooler than a week ago. Corn stubble fields averaged 54.5° (8° cooler) while sods averaged 51.4° (4° cooler). Corn stubble fields have less insulation and are subject to more rapid changes in temperature.

Soil Temperature is a one of the best indicators of a soil’s readiness for corn planting. The Precision Feed Management/Nutrient Management Team will be monitoring soil temperatures weekly on Tuesday, look for future reports on Wednesday or Thursday each week.

Conditions look to be aligning with a traditional start of planting around May 1. Now is a good time to check over your planter. Here are a few things to look for.

Corn Planter – Pre-season Checkup

1. Be sure the planter is clean inside and out. Check for old seed left in the hoppers, mouse nests, and anything else that may interfere with the operation of the seed meter or seed drop tubes. Lubricate or replace chain links. Start with fresh, lubricated chains and check them daily. Inflate tires to their correct pressure.
2. Level the Planter. Check the hitch height. Make sure the planter’s tool bar is level (vertically) or running slightly up hill. When planters tip down, coulters run too deep and closing wheels run too shallow.
3. Parallel Arms: Check to make sure parallel arms are tight. Parallel arms hold the row unit true. If the bushings are bad, the row unit will roll to the side, changing seed depth, coverage, and how the whole unit works.
4. Seed Meters: Seed meters should be cleaned annually. Seed treatment residues can build up and affect the performance of the seed meter. Do not use petroleum products on plastic finger meters, they may become brittle. Be sure to use lubricant (graphite) during the season to keep your meters running properly.
5. Seed Opener Blades: If the blades are worn beyond on half inch, the seed tube guard is more exposed and you won’t get a true V trench. (New seed opener blades are 15” for Deere, Kinze, and new–style White planters, and 14” for Case planters.) You should be able to turn the blades by hand, with resistance. If you can’t, they are too tight and will wear. Check blade contact with business cards, placed at the top and the bottom of the two blades, and pulled in until they can go no further. The distance should be 1”‐1.5”.
6. Seed Tubes and Guards: Worn seed tubes are a leading cause of skips and doubles. Plastic burrs can form on the end of the seed tube. When turned in, they can interfere with the seed as it drops, causing problems with spacing and depth. Seed tube guards are important, since they protect your seed tubes. They should be at least 9/16” across the bottom.
7. Gauge Wheels: Gauge wheels need to contact seed openers, any gap will result in plugging and trench filling. When the planter is in the ground, try to spin the gauge wheel with your foot. If it spins easily, there is not enough down pressure. If you can just make it slip, it is just about right. If you can’t move it at all, there is too much down pressure, which can cause sidewall compaction and impede root growth.
8. Row Cleaners. Almost any planter can benefit from well-adjusted row cleaners. Row cleaners sweep residue from the row, warming the soil around the seed trench. Make sure row cleaners gently sweep residue – you don’t want to move soil, just residue. Watch the row cleaners running. They shouldn’t turn constantly. They should gently turn sporadically, especially through areas of thick residue.
9. Fertilizer Openers: Fertilizer openers should be checked for proper offset spacing: If you want it 2”x2”, pull the planter in the field a ways, and measure the fertilizer placement to make sure it is right.
10. No-till Coulters: If no-till planter coulters are not set right, they may do more harm than good. If the coulters run too deep, they can create a “false bottom” in the seed trench, leading to improper seed depth. Coulters should always be run shallower than the seed trench. The goal is to have the disc openers setting the depth of the furrow.

Adapted from: Corn planter tune-up checklist Champlain Valley Crop, Soil and Pasture Team https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/media/Corn_Planter_Tuneup_Checklist_1.pdf