Jarrod O. Miller, Extension Agronomist, jarrod@udel.edu
With dry weather the last week we have finally seen steady field work and replanting going on. If you look at the graph of statewide accumulation, the last week has been the longest period without rain for most of the state this planting season. Ground has dried out fast, or it may appear that way once we got used to constant saturation. So be sure to check your soil moisture and irrigate if you need to. With minimal root development under saturation, field crops may not reach soil moisture even if it is just six inches down.
As long as it wasn’t drowned out, any corn planted between April 22 and June 3 should have had plenty of GDD to emerge. Here are some general guidelines to GDD to monitor your corn fields and see if they are growing normally.
V6: 475 GDD
V12: 870 GDD
VT: 1135 GDD
R1: 1400 GDD
Table 1: Growing degree days accumulated through June 19th from the beginning of each week.
