Corn Irrigation at early vegetative stages is challenging. Water demand is relatively low, roots are not fully developed, and soil moisture levels are considerably high at deeper levels.
But this situation, that causes many growers to wait with irrigation, can quickly change.
Here in Central Kansas, temperatures and ET values are going up in the last week. As a consequence, V4-V5 stage corn in lighter soils is starting to show signs of stress. During stress conditions, corn growth may decrease significantly, and can go down from 1,500 microns a day at optimal conditions, to only 350 microns a day with a 75% decrease.
This has a negative effect on yield potential buildup. But with a clear visibility of their plants' status based on real-time monitoring of growth rates and water demand, our customers can quickly respond and avoid stress.
As seen in the screenshots below, corn that was planted in a sandy location entered stress because of the ground's low-holding capacity and its relatively young root zone, while plants at a different location continued their strong growth.
Customers who were alerted about the stress via push notifications applied irrigation and helped their crops recover and continue their regular growth.
Stay tuned for our next CropBeat Report
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