2005 Annual Report: Effect of Planting Date and Seed Treatment on No-till Corn Yield

Objective

Demonstrate the impact of planting date and seed treatment on no-till.

Materials and Methods

Corn was planted at five planting dates, with or without Poncho 250 seed treatment.

Crop Management Info
Planting Date: According to treatment
Herbicides: Dual + Atrazine
Hybrid: Pioneer 31P68
Insecticides: None except treatment
Population: 28,500 seeds/acre
Row Width: 30-inch

Demonstration Design
Replications: 3
Design: Split Block
Size: 10’ X 30’
Statistics: Analysis of Variance

Results

Corn yields from the early planting date were impacted by the loss of stand. Poncho 250 gave some protection against white grub but loss of plants from the April 5 planting occurred in both treated and untreated plots. However, the value of the seed treatment was great at the April 5 planting date. The corn yield of the last planting date was impacted by waterhemp weed competition. MU research indicates that yields do not decline this drastically during the first part of June as compared to this demonstration.

The population from the early planting was reduced from white grub injury. Also, the stress of repeated frosts thinned plants at the April 5 planting date. MU research indicates that if you are going to plant the first week of April, you need to increase your seeding rate to compensate for the loss of plants.

Notice that all planting dates except the May 5 planting date with Poncho lost a signicant amount of plants even though the demonstration was planted at 28,500 plants/A. Be sure to measure your harvest plant population and use this information to determine how much stand loss is occurring in your fields.