On July 9th, UVM Extension and the Champlain Valley Farmers Coalition hosted a mid-season corn evaluation at Richville Farms in Shorham, VT to discuss the challenges and adjustments they’ve made for this year’s crops. Jeremy Chittenden shared an overview of the farm’s operations, cropping plans, and their experiences in this challenging season as well as past seasons. Guest speaker Tom Eaton addressed key topics such as side-dressing, managing growth stunting, and anticipating harvest conditions. He was joined by Extension Agronomist Shawn Lucas, who shared insights on how a wet spring followed by a dry summer has affected soil conditions.
Over the period from February 1 to May 31 Addison County received over 15 inches of rainfall which is more than 4 inches over the normal value for that timespan. Much of that rainfall came in May, when 6 inches of rain fell at the time when producers were hoping to terminate cover crops and plant summer crops. This delayed planting for many producers many of whom were planting well into late June. Unfortunately, during the period from June 1 until July 9 Addison County fields saw nearly 2 inches less rainfall than normal (with some areas receiving no rain at all). Thus, once crops were planted, they were facing stress from lack of water shortly after emergence. We saw this firsthand at Richville Farms where the clay soils had hardened, leaving deep cracks from the lack of moisture. Of interest to the group was information on how dry soils intensify problems related to soil compaction, limited nutrient availability, and slowed crop productivity.
Digging up several corn stalks, we found that root penetration was surprisingly good in this particular field despite late planting and early-season wet conditions. Mr. Chittenden thought this might have been because they were able to broadcast liquid manure via drag-line as a sidedress a few weeks after emergence, which provided both moisture and nutrients at a critical time in crop development. In addition to examining root development and compaction, we scouted for pests such as wireworms and cutworms. Fortunately, the late planting meant that these pests had already completed their life cycle and did not impact this year’s crop. Early-season insect scouting remains a valuable tool to help determine causes of poor stand establishment, and using reputable insecticides and herbicides can protect crops from emerging threats.
This season’s weather has also required adjustments in nitrogen management. Tom emphasized that many fields may need an extra boost of nitrogen to maximize tonnage at harvest. The biggest challenge with side-dressing this year has been timing—waiting for sufficient rainfall and again highlighting the potential benefits from the drag-line liquid manure side-dress application at Richville Farms. Incorporating urea requires about ½ inch of rain, so carefully timing applications around precipitation events is essential. Without rain, high heat significantly increases the risk of volatilization. Producers are encouraged to take a Pre-Side-dress Nitrate Tests (PSNT) to confirm nitrogen needs and plan side-dressing accordingly. For more on PSNT and soil testing in general, visit the UVM Agricultural and Environmental Testing Lab .
Credit: Kate Longfield
Credit: Kate Longfield