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Driftless SW Wisconsin | Tom, if some of the original plants survive, which they will if not intentionally removed, you will end up wasting a lot of money. There will be places where your population and spacing are such that the plants are too crowded and you will get two stalks and small or no ears.
Lets say you typically plant 30,000/acre. If 1/3 of the old crop survives and you replant 30,000 then you will have a true 40,000 plants out there - and you know what happens with over population most years.
So do you reduce the replant population to 20,000? Then if only 5,000 of the original crop survive then you will have a 25,000 population and lose potential yield for all the inputs already applied.
Corn needs accurate spacing and population to yield. It is impossible to provide either unless you take out the old corn crop. IF you plant a shorter maturity variety right now it is not too late to get a decent yield. The original plantings in many areas has sat in cold wet soil for a couple weeks and while it has emerged it has not really progressed as quickly as a seed planted now into warm, fit soil.
Beans are different. Population is not as much of an issue in beans. For soybeans, replanting without taking out the old crop can often result in misery at combine time, depending on how much of the old crop remains. Even 25% crop survival can leave beans shattering all over while you struggle to harvest tough green stems on the replant. jmho and experience.
This is why you should only replant when absolutely necessary - what stand makes replanting "necessary" is a complex question for others.
Jim at Dawn
Edited by Jim 5/28/2006 08:46
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Row Cleaners/Replanting
