Corn Planting Dates in the Piedmont and Valley Regions of Virginia: How Early is Early?
Early-planted corn generally produces higher yields than later-planted corn due to improved utilization of sunlight during the long days of June and July, assuming moisture is adequate. Also, silage harvest can begin earlier and drying costs are reduced for grain corn; and earlier harvest enables growers to begin preparation for the fall seeding of small grain crops. However, a significant amount of early-planted corn is replanted in Virginia in some years because of poor stands. Many of these poor stands can be attributed to warm temperatures in early April followed by low temperatures during the last three weeks of April. Corn requires a minimum temperature of 50°F to germinate, and even at 55°F germination and growth are slow. Soil temperatures under conventional tillage can be higher than air temperatures if several days of bright sunshine have provided energy for soil warming. But with surface mulches in place for no-tillage production, soil temperatures are generally colder and w
