The area corn crop this week ranges from being planted to the V3-V4 stage of development. Growers need to evaluate their corn stands. A good uniform corn stand at the correct population is essential for high corn yields. Table 4, which is in UGA Corn Production Guide, shows the length of row required at various row widths to calculate 1/1000 acre. For example if you plant corn on a 38 inch row measure 13 feet and 9 inches to obtain 1/1000th of an acre. After the distance is established, count the number of corn plants in that distance and multiply that number by 1000. This will be your plant population per acre. Do this procedure in numerous places across the field.
In general, corn will emerge between 90 and 120 GDUs in the spring. After emergence a new leaf collar will appear after approximately 84 GDUs until V10 to V 11. After this stage, new collars will appear approximately every 56 GDUs.
We planted a corn plot at the Sunbelt Ag Expo on March 20, 2020. Below is a table showing the GDUs from March 20 to April 1, 2020. This data is from the UGA Weather Station located at the Expo. If shows we have accumulated 269 GDUs during this period of time. The last three years we accumulated a range of 106 to 234 GDUs during the same period of time. The corn ranged from V1 to V2 this week at the Expo plot.
If you would like more information on corn growth stages please go to the link below. https://www.agry.purdue.edu/Ext/corn/news/timeless/VStageMethods.html
Thanks and have a great day….