That is the question! At what point does an existing stand profit you more than redoing or adding to a current stand as in the case of soybeans?
When we look at a five year multi location averaged studies on replant we find that even in the highly productive soils of the corn belt that it is hard to overcome an early sporadic stand of April 16-May 1 plant dates vs just 20-35 days later at May 20. This data does not seem to change much when relating to days from typical planting across regions. It is possible that in southern regions that those who plant sooner in the year, typically may experience more days from initial plant to when its too late. However; they will see that by the middle of May, yield potential is being reduced. Adding to this, most modern hybrids are becoming more flexible in ear length, ear girth, and kernel flex. This translates to the plants ability to compensate for stand loss in a way that has not typically been in periods of time where corn ears had more determinate features.
In summary, it is hard to overcome corn planted timely even if it is reduced in stand or takes more time to emerge. It is our commitment to look at your operation in a case by case basis. This is a very important decision to be made and we recommend not making this call on your own. We will gladly walk fields, do stand checks, and give you our research backed opinion on what is best for your bottom line. Call us 417-684-5301 and we will make sure you have the information you need for your farm.
