What should be the soil temperature at planting time?
Ideally, the seedbed should be at least 68º F at the two inch depth, with dry weather and at least 50 DD-60s expected in the next 5 days.
Planting into cold soils increases the likelihood of chilling injury to seedlings, weak and variable stands and replanting. Replanting is expensive, can complicate herbicide and insecticide programs and delay maturity.
Generally this will be the last week of April or the first week of May. Some years differ and common sense must apply.
|
Thirty Year Average DD60
Accumulation By Week |
|
| WEEK | DD60s |
| April 9-15 | 28.7 |
| April 16-22 | 45.6 |
| April 23-29 | 48.4 |
| April 30-May 6 | 53.8 |
| May 7-13 | 71.0 |
| May 13-20 | 85.2 |
Publications
News
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Market corn prices are more than $2 lower per bushel than a year ago, so row crop producers in Mississippi are planning to plant less corn and more cotton in 2024.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi agriculture’s value of production fell 10.3% in 2023, but still posted its second highest result on record at $8.8 billion.
