Corn in Mississippi
When should I begin irrigating corn?
Drought
stress can potentially reduce corn yield anytime during corn's developmental
stages. Therefore, irrigation should commence whenever soil moisture
becomes limiting.
Since corn's water requirement increases with plant size during vegetative stages (from emergence until tassel), plant growth stage does play a determining role, but there is not a definitive growth stage when irrigation should commence. This time is normally highly dependent upon seasonal rainfall. The most critical and largest moisture requirement time interval is from tasseling through milk stages.