July 8, 2010

Early corn tasseling in US may signify good yield

 

Aside from ponded areas, corn and soy statewide are mostly in good condition as corn is beginning to tassel and soy is blooming, Tuesday's (July 6) weekly USDA Crops and Weather Report said.

Experts said the northeast region has some of the best corn, with most corn plants taller than the average height of people.

The critical reproduction phase is when tassels shed pollen on developing ears to grow kernels. This is about 10 days to two weeks ahead of normal, said Brian Lang, an Iowa State University Extension crop specialist in Northeast Iowa.

"There's more of a chance (for corn ears) to keep their kernels and put on test weight. Earlier tasseling provides an environment with longer days to potentially fill ears better," Lang said.

Kernel numbers are set by the time tassels sprout, Lang said. An ear shoot, or female part of the plant, will produce 750 to 1,000 ovules or potential kernels, each producing a silk. The silk catches the pollen from the tassel, or the male portion of the plant.

Advances in seed and crop protection, pushing up planting dates, better equipment and management techniques have all played a role in the meteoric rise in yields.

Besides potentially big, heavy ears, he hopes to combine earlier this year, which should save on drying costs. It takes about 60 days for corn plants to mature after tasseling. That could mean a mid-September start for harvest, which is several weeks earlier than last year.

27% of Iowa's soy are blooming, compared to 20% last year. The crop is rated 4% very poor, 8% poor, 24% fair, 49% good and 15% excellent.

The report said nearly all of the Iowa's oats are headed, and half the crop has turned colour. Harvest is approaching.

While Iowa farm fields are flooded, last week was dry and allowed farmers to finish spraying weeds and harvest first- or second-crop hay.