Corn Production - Land Selection and Preparation Selection Soil type is one of the major factors influencing the potential yield of corn. There are a number of soils in Mississippi that will produce 75 to 100 bushels of corn or more per acre with proper management. There are several criteria for selecting a soil on which to plant corn. Drainage is important. A good soil for corn is well- to moderately well-drained. Corn will not grow well on a soil that becomes water-logged and is slow to lose excess water. On the other hand, corn will not do well on a soil that tends to be droughty, that has a low water-holding capacity. Water-holding capacity is very important. Extremely sandy soils with a low water-holding capacity are as unproductive as wet, poorly drained soils. Soil depth determines the extent of root penetration. Corn roots will penetrate to a depth of 2 to 3 feet if not restricted. Badly eroded soils, soils with a hard pan at the 6- to 8-inch depth, and thin soils with only 6 to 8 inches of topsoil will not produce high yields of corn. Many Mississippi soils that are suitable for row crops are low in native fertility but will respond to good fertility management. If soils are considered on the basis of land capability classes, Class 1 is well-suited to corn production; Class 2 will produce good yields where drainage is not a problem, and, in some instances, Class 3 land may produce good yields of corn but generally not as good as Classes 1 and 2. Class 4 may be used in some cases with intensive management. Other land classes should not be planted to corn when the present recommendations for production are applied. There are about 13 million acres of Class 1, 2, and 3 soils in the state, some of which are more suitable than others for corn production. Modern management techniques (such as minimum tillage) may make it possible to use some soils previously considered marginal. When soils are considered on the basis of types, the following can be considered as good to fair corn soils: Good to Fair Corn Soils, by Region Blackland Prairie Brown Loam Coastal Plain Delta Interior Flatwoods Belden Adler Caldeonia Adler Arkabutla Brooksville Ariel Iuka Bosket Longview Catalpa Atwood Jena Commerce Mantachie Houston Cascilla Kirkville Convent Ora Leeper Collins Lucedale Dubbs Prentiss Marietta Lexington Ochlockonee Dundee Savannah Okolona Memphis Paden Morganfield Urbo Oaklimiter Velda Robinsonville Riedtown Tutwiler Vicksburg Vicksburg Preparation Seedbed preparation varies. Hard pans occur naturally in some soils. Other soils, such as sandy loams, loams, and silt loams, may develop a traffic pan from continuous shallow cultivation, disking, grazing cattle, and possibly other reasons. If there is a plow pan or traffic pan, subsoil the field in the fall when the soil is dry so that the pan will be shattered. Subsoiling when soils are wet will only slice through the pan and not be as effective as shattering the pan. Destroying the hard pan increases moisture accumulation in the soil and allows deeper root penetration by the following crop. Increased moisture accumulation and root penetration reduce the dry weather hazards that can occur during the growing season. Recompaction can be minimized by keeping the number of trips over the field to a minimum and using equipment that causes less soil compaction. Tools such as a pulverizing disk increase the rate of soil compaction; thus, excess disking is detrimental to crop development. Subsoiling can be done across rows, at a 45-degree angle to rows, or with the row. On deep sandy loam or loam soils that are fairly flat, subsoiling at a 45-degree angle is probably the most common. On sandy loam soils of the coastal plain and brown loam areas of the state, and where slope tends to favor erosion, subsoiling might best be done with the row on the contour. Subsoiling in the row, bedding, and planting over the subsoiled area has proved to be a good practice on some of the coastal plain soils of some southeastern states. Subsoil frequently enough to prevent the redevelopment of the pan area. Begin seedbed preparation whenever necessary to get corn planted on time. If erosion is not a problem, seedbed preparation can be done in the fall. If erosion is a problem, subsoil or chisel plow in the fall and leave crop residue on the field during the winter and begin seedbed preparation in the late winter or very early spring. Plant corn in the late winter or early spring on a slightly raised seedbed. Prepare beds and let them settle before planting. This allows for planting in one operation. Bedding, allowing the bed to settle, then planting is preferable. If you subsoil in the row, allow the bed to settle before planting. Planting on a slightly raised bed prevents water from standing on top of the row, improving the survival of the young corn seedlings. A raised seedbed also provides a dry planting surface a few days earlier and will be 1 to 3 °F warmer than a flat field surface. All of these factors will lead to a better and earlier stand of corn. No-tillage No-till corn is suitable on some soil types in some situations in Mississippi. No-tillage is not a system of growing corn that will eliminate all of your problems and always produce high yields of corn. In fact, no-till production will require a higher level of management than conventional tillage. Advantages: No-tillage has its greatest advantage on fields that are sloping and likely to erode badly. Soil erosion is 80 to 95 percent less than with conventional tillage. Mulching helps reduce water loss by evaporation also. No-till also offers a savings in time, fuel, and equipment. Disadvantages: Special no-till planting equipment is necessary. You can use no-till planters for conventional planting, but you cannot use conventional planters for no-till. Weed control can be a major problem, since herbicides alone must control weed growth. Insect, rodent, and disease problems may be worse. You should use some soil-applied insecticide. Adjustment of equipment is more critical than in conventional tillage, and there is not as much room for error. Soils must be well-drained, because there are no rows to facilitate water movement. Many farmers are successfully producing no-till corn. Distributed by E. Lamar Kimbrough, Ph.D., Extension Agronomist Mississippi State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status. Information Sheet 890 Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress, May 8 and June 30, 1914. Ronald A. Brown, Director Copyright by Mississippi State University. All rights reserved. This document may be copied and distributed for nonprofit educational purposes provided that credit is given to the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Visit: DAFVM || USDA Search our Site || Need more information about this subject? Last Modified: Monday, 29-Mar-04 10:09:18 URL: http://msucares.com/pubs/infosheets/is0890.htm Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Recommendations on this web site do not endorse any commercial products or trade names.