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May 19, 2005 Wet Conditions Require Patience Rains this past week have caused wet seedbed conditions and increased producer anxiety about getting the remaining crops planted, says Duane Berglund, North Dakota State University Extension Service agronomist. “Patience is the best recommendation when fields are wet if producers want to avoid potential problems later in the growing season,” Berglund says. “Waiting until the soil has sufficiently dried before working the soil or seeding will result in more favorable soil conditions and maximize plant stands and yields. It’s always been a sound agronomic practice to maximize plant stands to help increase yield potential.” Tilling wet soils for seedbed preparation can result in excessive clod formation; poor seed-soil contact; an uneven and dried-out seedbed; poor mixing and incorporation of chemicals; uneven, erratic seedling emergence; and reduced plant stands. Waiting one to two additional days usually will not lengthen the growing season, but will aid greatly in obtaining a good seedbed for planting and maximizing plant stands. When planting in compacted, wet conditions, the seed is in an anaerobic environment. When the seed germinates in an anaerobic environment, the lack of oxygen generally results in the death of the seed germ. Seeds that do survive will be weak and the wet soil conditions may be more favorable for the development of soil-borne pathogens that otherwise may not be a problem. The result is reduced stands and lower yields. Also, some soils with high clay content tend to harden when drying and cause real problems with seed germination and seedling emergence. “Emergence in compacted conditions will hinder hypocotyl growth, preventing soil penetration by the hypocotyl arch and retards root development,” Berglund says. “In addition, any crusting that occurs will prevent the hypocotyls from emerging, resulting in seedling loss in soybeans, dry edible beans and sunflowers. This will cause the crop stand to be erratic and reduced.” Uneven crop stands typically will have lower yields than uniform stands because of the direct competition among plants at different stages of growth. One positive aspect is that seed placement depths can be much shallower with good moisture. ### Source:
Duane R. Berglund, (701) 231-8135, duane.berglund@ndsu.edu |
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North Dakota State University |
