Even though 2003 GDU accumulation is lagging behind the 40-year average for calendar date, corn plants in the planting date experiment are developing right on schedule for the GDUs accumulated thus far. The April 15 planting date reached V3 after accumulating 300 GDUs on May 28. The plants have started to green-up. We are through the root transition period and nodal roots are starting to become dominant. Leaves are being produced on the growing point of the plant. We still have numerous tools that can be used to predict plant nutrient needs from soil fertility levels and manage weeds and other pests.

The May 3 planting date is developing nicely. No obvious problems are apparent in the plots. The growth stage is nearly at V2.

The May 13 planting date emerged right on schedule, but we have observed quite a bit of underground unfurling of the plants. This phenomenon is seen when extreme temperatures are observed between the time the coleoptile emerges from the seed and but has not yet emerged from the soil. For this planting date about 5 days after planting, few GDUs accumulated for about 3 days (May 19-21).

For 2003 we are loosing ground as far as normal GDU accumulation is concerned, but this can be quickly made up as the season progresses. Our next planting dates are June 1 and June 10.