U of M Extension Home : U of M Home

Minnesota Crop News > 2001-2008 Archives

For the past three years we have had excellent field conditions for early and timely corn and soybean planting in Minnesota. Conditions are such now that this season will be later, but still could be an "average" or "normal" planting season, especially for soybeans. For a reminder of what's normal, the average corn planting date is May 6; it's May 18 for soybeans. If field-drying conditions exist for the next several days, both crops could be planted in the normal timeframe.

Questions now are when to change maturities of both corn and soybeans. We recommend "staying the course" with the seed choices you have made until May 25. After May 25, we recommend the maturities given in Table 1 for corn: 

Table 1. Recommended Corn Hybrid Maturities for Late Planting in Minnesota

For soybeans, we recommend the maturities given in Table 2.

Table 2. Recommended Soybean Maturities for Late Planting in Minnesota

More discussion for late planting of both corn and soybeans is given in The Corn/Soybean Growers Field Guide for Evaluating Crop Damage and Replant Options. 

Minnesota corn growers have been planting hybrids that are 5 relative maturity earlier than we believe is full season for the area. This gives some flexibility for planting those maturities later in the season. Further, we believe growers are best served by planting the hybrid and soybean variety choices they have made because changing seed choices may change the maturities, but the chances are not good of getting the best yielding hybrids and soybean varieties in earlier maturities. Seed of those hybrids and varieties has already been sold and delivered to growers.

We've also had some early maturing seasons with good field drying conditions that has resulted in lower corn grain drying costs. Later planting usually means later maturity dates with less calendar time for field drying, so drying costs may be higher this year. Might be a good plan to forward price LP gas for drying if the price looks good during the summer. Plant Pathology Extension Web Page: http://www.plpa.agri.umn.edu/extension/.