Soil Temperatures

Posted: 4/29/23
It’s that time of year that Heartland Feeds Agronomy Team is out and about delivering seed and checking soil temperatures in fields that are to be planted to corn in 2023.

They may surprise you by both how cold, and how warm they are this time of year. With the forecast that it looks like we are going to have for the next few weeks, many producers might be getting antsy to get planting. An important thing to remember is although the outside temperature seems promising for corn planting, your soil temperature might be telling you something different.

A few things to consider when testing for soil temperatures:

·         Was the field worked last fall, or is it still stubble covered?

·         What is your soil type – sandy or clay?

·         What is the topography of the field?

o   Does it hold water, or dry out quickly?

Was the field worked last fall, or is it still stubble covered?

If the field was worked in the fall, it was already partially blackened – which results in immediately heat soaking once the sun comes out. Not only will this help the field to dry up quicker to allow early planting, but it also “bakes” the field in a sense, warming the soils up quicker.

What is your soil type – sandy or clay?

Typically, a sandy soil will warm up quicker than a clay soil, because it has larger soil particles and is able to let warm air through more, dry out quicker, and in result warm up quicker.

What is the topography of the field?

If the field is quite rollie, with various hill tops and low areas that hold more water, the soil temperature can be deceiving. Although the hill tops might be dry, warm, and more than ready to plant, the lower areas of the field might need some more time to not only dry out to improve soil conditions, but also warm up. If you have a field with quite a bit of variability, ensure that BOTH the low and high areas are of optimum soil temperature for planting, especially with the forecast we have so far allowing for a nice, long range planting window.

Now probably the most important question:

What is the ideal soil temperature for planting corn?

Ideally, the soil temperature to plant corn into is 10 degrees Celsius or better. That is the short answer. The long answer involves the answer to a few more questions – what is the forecast a few days following planting? Again, what is the topography of the field?

In my opinion, one of the most important factors to early planting corn is to ensure there is not a cold rain, or any rain in the forecast for at least 48 hours following planting. If there is a rain expected on a Saturday, for example, I would be recommending finishing planting by Wednesday evening. This reduces the risk of cold shock to the seed, which can cause seedling death. So, although the soil temperature may be up to 10 degrees, that is not necessarily your cue to get planting. Make sure the forecast looks good for a few days following planting as well. We touched on this above but ensure that BOTH the low areas and high areas of the field are at optimum soil temperatures. In our current situation with the forecast we have, we can not be in a rush with planting. I’d like producers to wait until low areas of the field are at 8 degrees minimum, and the rest of the field at optimum temperatures, 10 degrees Celsius.

Our Agronomy Team will be out and about next week continuing to take soil temperatures, monitor field conditions, and delivering seed. If you’d like your soil temperature tested, or have questions about seed bed preparation prior to planting, please do not hesitate to call or text any of our team!

Don Rasmussen (403)-963-9864

Whitney Nepinak (403)-963-7122

Georges Uebelhardt (403)- 350-5116

 

Written By - Whitney Nepinak, Heartland Feeds

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