Corn Production

Replant checklist

  1. Determine the remaining plant population. Calculate the plant population in several "random" areas in the affected part of the field to help estimate the existing population. Do not be tempted to go to the worst area and start counting there, ignoring the better parts of the affected area. The idea is to characterize the field as best you can. Try to make a zig-zag pattern across the field to best represent its overall condition.

    To estimate surviving plant stands, you will want to count plants in at least three places in the affected field. Your accuracy will be greater if you count plants in 1/100 of an acre. Use Table 1 to determine the length of row necessary to achieve 1/100 of an acre. You can also measure 1/1000 of an acre; more than three measurements should be taken though to increase accuracy.

    Table 1. Total linear feet of row required to make 1/100 and 1/1000 of an acre at different row widths.
    Row spacing (inches) Row length for 1/100 acre (linear feet) Row length for 1/1000 acre (linear feet)
    7 747 74.7
    10 523 52.3
    15 348 34.8
    20 261 26.1
    22 238 23.8
    28 187 18.7
    30 174 17.4
    32 163 16.3
    34 154 15.4
    36 145 14.5
    38 138 13.8

    Determine whether the population you counted will completely survive. Were there plants included in the count that appear to be damaged due to insects, disease, frost, hail, flooding, soil crusting, etc? You will need to estimate whether any plants are severely injured or will soon die. These considerations may reduce the number of plants in the field that will actually contribute to final yield.

  2. Consider plant stand uniformity (if there is uneven emergence).

    • If uneven emergence is row to row, that is, most rows are emerged but some are not, replanting will likely not increase yield.
    • If the delay in emergence is less than two weeks between the early and late emerging plants, replanting may increase yields, but by only 5% or less. Replanting would likely not be economical.
    • Yet if one-half or more of the plants in the stand emerge three weeks later than the initial plant emergence, replanting may increase yields by about 10%. Several tools are available for estimating yield loss from variable stands, such as the worksheet found in Tools to calculate yield loss from uneven heights.

  3. Calculate expected yield from the existing stand.

    Table 2. Influence of planting date and plant population on corn grain yields.
    Planting Date April 20 - May 5 May 13-19 May 26-June 1 June 10-16 June 24-28
    Final Stand* Relative yield potential (percent)
    28,000-32,000 100 99 90 68 52
    24,000 94 93 85 64 49
    20,000 81 80 73 55 42
    16,000 74 73 67 50 38
    12,000 68 67 61 46 35
    * Assumes a uniform plant spacing.
    From: Iowa State University Extension. 2001. Corn Planting Guide: Table 7.

    The potential yield associated with the original planting date with the actual population will give a fair estimate of the actual yield of the problematic field. Table 2 summarizes planting date and plant population (final stand) relationships. For example, if the original planting date was April 30, a population of 30,000 seeds/acre is expected to provide maximum yield, based on Table 2. If the population is only 20,000 plants/acre, yield potential is still 81% of maximum. If the long-term yield of this field were 200 bushels/acre, the estimated yield would be 162 bushels/acre.

    If several 4- to 6-foot gaps occur within the row, yields will be reduced an additional 5% relative to a uniform stand. Stand gaps of 16 to 33 inches will only reduce yield by 2%.

  4. Estimate replant yield. Planting date and target plant population are used to estimate the yield potential of the replanted field. Use Table 2 for this too. Replanting on May 19 at 30,000 seeds/acre would result in approximately 99% of maximum yield. Compare the replanted crop to the original crop which was planted on April 30 which has an existing population of 20,000 plants/acre, and consider the costs of replanting. Expected yields are 81% for retaining the old stand versus 99% of maximum for a replant. Remember, however, that there is no guarantee of getting a good stand with replanting. Insect and disease pressure may also be greater in replanted fields.

  5. Estimate replanting costs. The cost of replanting a field is often the deciding factor. Costs include tillage, seed, fuel (for tillage and planting), additional pesticides, labor, etc. Moreover, the chance of fall frost is higher for late-planted corn. Check with your seed dealer to see what hybrid seed (shorter maturity) is available and if there is any rebate or price reduction for replant situations.

Portions of this text, written by Roger Elmore and Lori Abendroth, were taken from a Crop Watch article (University of Nebraska extension newsletter) May 20, 2005.