Corny News Network Archives (Purdue Univ)

If you would like to receive Corny News Network articles and other corny information by email, contact rnielsen at purdue.edu.
Other Corny News Network articles can be viewed at the CNN Archives.

ne of the great characteristics of the Web is its ability to serve as a repository of historical information that is accessible at the click of a mouse. As the saying goes, history does repeat itself when it comes to agronomic issues that face corn and soybean farmers every year. These Corny News Network (CNN) Archives serve as a repository for the agronomic articles published by yours truly at the Chat 'n Chew Café since 1995, with some additional others written by some of my colleagues here at Purdue.

I have attempted to categorize the articles into meaningful areas of agronomic interest to ease your search for the information you are seeking. I have also only included the most recent version of articles that have been frequently rehashed over the years in response to the occurrence of the same ol' agronomic challenges.

Note: The Chat 'n Chew Café offers articles from many other folks besides myself, but I have yet to index those articles. To locate these other articles, you can browse through my monthly archives. Some of the sources for those articles offer their own search indexes, including Iowa State Univ., Ohio State Univ., Univ. of Illinois, and Univ. of Nebraska.

R.L. (Bob) Nielsen
Agronomy Dept., Purdue Univ.
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054
Email address: rnielsen at purdue.edu

Reasonably Articles

Time to Park the Corn Planters (2009)
Corn and the Ugly Duckling (2009)
Wrapped & Twisted Whorls in Corn (2009)
Root Development in Young Corn (2009)
Einstein's Theory of Relativity as it Relates to Soil Moisture (2009)
Corkscrewed Corn Seedlings (2009)
Germination Events in Corn (2009)
Photo Gallery: Visible Indicators of Germination in Corn (2009)
The Emergence Process in Corn (2009)
Photo Gallery: Coleoptile Appearance During Emergence (2009)
Late Planting & Relative Hybrid Maturity Decisions (2009)
Corn Planting Date is Important, But.... (2009)

General information about corn

Mitigate the Downside Risks of Corn Following Corn (2007)
Corn Yield Trends for Indiana: 1930 to 2007 (2007)
Corn Grain Yield Trends: Eyes of the Beholder (2006)
Corn Yield Trends for Indiana (2005)
Differences in Stalk Decomposition During the Off-Season (1998)
Isn't It A-Maize-ing! (1998)

Arrested ear development & other oddities

Arrested Ears Resulting From Pre-Tassel Applications of Pesticide & Spray Additive Combinations (2008)
Blunt Ear Syndrome...Again! (2008)
Possible Potential for Arrested Ear Development (2008)
Symptomology of Arrested Ear Development in Corn (2007)
Multiple Ears on the Same Shank (2007)
A Problem With "Bouquets" (2006)
Arrested Ear Development (Again!) (2004)
Blunt Ear Syndrome in Corn (2003)
'Beer Can' Ear Syndrome - 2001(2001)
It’s Never Too Late to Walk Your Fields (2000)
Beer-Can Ear Syndrome in Corn (1996)
Photo Gallery: Another Example of Beer-Can Ears in Corn (1996)

Biotechnology, GMOs, genetic engineering, transgenics

Crop diagnostics, crop problems

Photo Gallery: Twisted Whorl Symptoms in Corn (2009)
Wrapped & Twisted Whorls in Corn (2009)
Corkscrewed Corn Seedlings (2009)
Yield Losses and Harvesting Challenges for Severely Lodged Corn (2008)
Corn Crop Continues Slow Progress (2008)
Goss’s Bacterial Wilt Confirmed in Indiana (2008)
Possible Potential for Arrested Ear Development (2008)
Early Planted Corn Feeling "Under the Weather" (2008)
Prevalent Purple Plants Puzzle Producers (2008)
A Recipe for Crappy Stands of Corn (2008)
Monitor Corn Fields for Weakened or Diseased Stalks (2007)
Kernel Set Scuttlebutt (2007)
Be on the Alert for Floppy, Rootless Corn (2007)
Considerations for Planting Corn into Damaged Fields of Wheat (2007)
Cold Temperatures & Early Planted, Emerged Corn (2007)
Late Season Corny Fearmongering (2006)
Crappy Stands of Corn (2006)
Take Time to Evaluate Corn Stand Establishment (2006)
Popped Kernels and Silk Cut (2005)
Grain Drydown, Stalk Lodging, and Harvest (2005)
Top Leaf Death in Corn (2005)
Yellow Tops and Twisted Whorls (2005)
Photo Gallery: A Tale of Two Plants (2005)
Singin’ From The Same Sheet of Replant Music (2005)
Some Mid-April Planted Corn in Trouble (2005)
Stalk Health Concerns (2004)
High Yield Potential Tempered For Some Fields (2004)
Tassel-Ears in Corn (2004)
Water, Water Everywhere... (2004)
“Silver Leaf” Symptom in Young Corn (2004)
Effects of Flooding or Ponding on Young Corn (2004)
Freeze Injury Potential for Early-Planted Corn (2004)
Dry Topsoil Concerns Some Corn Growers (2004)
Early Frost & Immature Corn Grain (2003)
Nagging Reminder About Stalk Health Concerns (2003)
Tip Fill Problems in Corn (2003)
Corn Fields Shutting Down (2003)
Stalk Health Issues in Stressed Corn (2003)
Blue Skies Smiling On Me... (2003)
Photo Gallery: Silver Leaf Symptom in Corn (2003)
Silver Leaf Symptom in Corn (2003)
Wind & Sandblasting Damage to Corn (2003)
Assessing Corn Recovery From Early-Season Damage (2003)
Corn Replant Decision-Making: Emotions vs. Economics (2003)
No-Till Corn Planting Trash Talk (2003)
Early-Planted Corn & Potential for Freeze Injury (2003)
Droopy Ears in Corn (2002)
Scout Stressed Fields for Root & Stalk Rots (2002)
Corn Suffering From Various Forms of WTMDS Syndrome (2002)
Root Lodging Concerns in Corn (2002)
Photo Gallery: Root Lodged Corn (2002)
Timing of Crop Stress is Critical! (2002
Photo Gallery: Corn Rootworm Injury to Very Young Corn (2002)
Too Much Dang Stress - Recap (2002)
Some Corn Afflicted With TMDS Syndrome (2002)
Episode II: Attack of the Clods (2002)
Diagnosing Stand Establishment Problems in Corn (2002)
Early Season Frost & Low Temperature Damage to Corn and Soybean (2002)
Gearing Up for Crop Diagnostics 2002 (2002)
Photo Gallery: Poor Kernel Set Symptoms in Corn (2001)
Sexual Dysfunction in the Corn Field (2001)
Pollination Failure Due to Herbicide? (2001)
Late-Season Hail Damage to Corn (2001)
Scout Fields for Stalk Rots (2001)
Short Corn at Tasseling (2001)
Hail Damage in Corn: Moving Beyond Grief to Damage Assessment (2001)
Photo Gallery: Hail Damage to Young Corn - Photo Gallery (2001)
When Good Corn Fields Turn Bad (2001)
Mother’s Day Frost Causes Some Damage to Indiana Corn and Soybean (2001)
Be Alert for Floppy Corn (2001)
Scrambled Silks, Anyone? (aka Silk balling)(2000)
Photo Gallery: Scrambled Silks in Corn (2000)
Gird thyself for battle! (2000)
Siamese Twins in Corn? (2000)
Photo Gallery: Disease-Related Stand Establishment Problems in Corn (2000)
Plan Now for Timely Crop Problem Troubleshooting (1999)
Droopy Ears in Corn (1999)
What A MESS! (aka Multiple Ears on a Single Ear Shank) (1999)
What A MESS! (aka Multiple Ears on Single Ear Shank) (1998)
Nobody Knows the Troubles I've Seen…. (1998)
Timely Troubleshooting is Important (1996)
Incomplete Kernel Set in Corn (1996)
Corn Beginning to Shut Down? (1996)
Incomplete Kernel Set in Yellow Dent Corn. (1995)
Repeated Above-Ground Injury is Hard on Young Corn Seedlings. (1995)
Leaf Rolling as an Indicator of Soil Compaction. (1995)
Anhydrous Ammonia Injury as an Indicator of Soil Compaction. (1995)
Effects of Stress During Grain Fill in Corn. (1995)
Premature Plant Death in Corn. (1995)

Diseases

Goss’s Bacterial Wilt Confirmed in Indiana (2008)
Corn Fungicide Hoopla 2008 (2008)
Monitor Corn Fields for Weakened or Diseased Stalks (2007)
Grain Drydown, Stalk Lodging, and Harvest (2005)
Some Mid-April Planted Corn in Trouble (2005)
Stalk Health Concerns (2004)
High Yield Potential Tempered For Some Fields (2004)
Nagging Reminder About Stalk Health Concerns (2003)
Stalk Health Issues in Stressed Corn (2003)
Scout Stressed Fields for Root & Stalk Rots (2002)
Plant Diseases Related to Wet Soils and Late Planting (2002)
Scout Fields for Stalk Rots (2001)
It’s Never Too Late to Walk Your Fields (2000)
Corn Rust - An Epidemic? (2000)
Agronomist Fooled by Disease (2000)
Photo Gallery: Wilt Phase of Stewart's Disease on a Commercial Corn Hybrid (2000)
Once Uniform, Now Uneven (2000)
Photo Gallery: Disease-Related Stand Establishment Problems in Corn (2000)
Scout Corn Fields for Stalk Rot Development (1995)

Drought & heat stress

Potential for Corn Recovery from Drought Stress? (2007)
Assessing Effects of Drought on Corn Grain Yield? (2007)
Jumping On To The Drought Bandwagon (2005)
Yield Loss Potential During Grain Fill (2004)
Stalk Health Issues in Stressed Corn (2003)
Droopy Ears in Corn (2002)
Scout Stressed Fields for Root & Stalk Rots (2002)
Photo Gallery: Kernel Abortion Due to Drought Stress (August 2002)
Some Droughty Fields Experiencing Silk Emergence Delay (2002)
Corn Suffering From Various Forms of WTMDS Syndrome (2002)
Y2Dry? Should Indiana Farmers Plan for a 2000 Drought? (2000)
Drought Stress & Corn Silage Decisions (1999)
Thirsty, But Not Dying of Thirst (1999)
Some of Those Corn Plants Are Thirsty! (1996)
Drought & Heat Stress Effects on Corn Pollination (1996)

Fertility, nutrient management

Nitrogen Management Update 2008 (2007)
Soggy Soils, N Loss, & Supplemental Nitrogen Fertilizer for Corn (2004)
End-of-Season Corn Stalk Nitrate Test (2003)
Fertilizer Reckoning for the Mathematically Challenged (2002)
Optimizing Nitrogen Fertilizer Decisions (2001)

Flooding, ponding

Toadstranglers in August: Good or Bad for the Corn Crop? (2008)
Soil Sampling for Assessing Plant Available N in Previously Flooded Soils (2008)
Nitrogen Loss in Wet and Wetter Fields (2008)
Replant Considerations for Flooded Corn (2008)
Effects of Flooding or Ponding on Young Corn (2008)
Rains, Hail, Wind: Déjà vu All Over Again? (2006)
Water, Water Everywhere... (2004)
Soggy Soils, N Loss, & Supplemental Nitrogen Fertilizer for Corn (2004)
Photo Gallery: Bacterial Ear Rot in Corn Due to Flooding (2003)
Photo Gallery: Corn & Soybean Loss From Floods & Ponding (2003)
Rain, Hail, Wind: What Next? (2003)
Seed Furrow Erosion in No-Till Corn (2003)
Delayed Planting Considerations for Corn (2003)
The Impact of Excessive Rainfall on Soybeans (2000)
Soggy Soils Severely Stunt Stands of Corn (2000)
Photo Gallery: Effects of Soggy Soils on Corn Growth (2000)
Saturated Soils Taking Their Toll on Corn (1998)
Post-Flood Syndrome: Interesting Research (1998)
Bacterial Ear Rot in Flooded Corn (1998)

Floppy corn, rootless corn

Be on the Alert for Floppy, Rootless Corn (2007)
Floppy Corn & Related Symptoms (2004)
Over-Extended Mesocotyls and Floppy Corn Syndrome (2004)
Be Alert for Floppy Corn (2001)

Frost & low temperature damage

Cold Temperatures & Early Planted, Emerged Corn (2007)
Photo Gallery: A Tale of Two Plants (2005)
I've Got the Corny Stand Establishment Blues... (2005)
Photo Gallery: Stress Continues for Corn Growing Under Refrigerated Conditions (2005)
Did We Dodge a Frozen Corn Bullet? (2005)
“Silver Leaf” Symptom in Young Corn (2004)
Freeze Injury Potential for Early-Planted Corn (2004)
Corkscrewed Corn Seedlings (2004)
Early Frost & Immature Corn Grain (2003)
Photo Gallery: Silver Leaf Symptom in Corn (2003)
Silver Leaf Symptom in Corn (2003)
Risk of Fall Frost Injury to Immature Corn Grain (2002)
Early Season Frost & Low Temperature Damage to Corn and Soybean (2002)
Short Corn at Tasseling (2001)
Mother’s Day Frost Causes Some Damage to Indiana Corn and Soybean (2001)
Frost & Low Temperature Injury to Corn and Soybean (2001)
Photo Gallery: Symptoms of Low Temperature Injury to Corn and Soybean (2001)
Assessing Frost Damage to Young Corn (1998)
Frost Damage to Corn (1996)
Potential Yield Losses in Corn From Fall Frost Damage (1996)

Germination, emergence, stand establishment

Root Development in Young Corn (2009)
Germination Events in Corn (2009)
Photo Gallery: Visible Indicators of Germination in Corn (2009)
The Emergence Process in Corn (2009)
Photo Gallery: Coleoptile Appearance During Emergence (2009)
Requirements for Uniform Germination and Emergence of Corn (2000)
Variable Emergence Due to Variable Seedbed Moisture (2007)
Dry Topsoil Concerns Some Corn Growers (2004)
Blue Skies Smiling On Me... (2003)
No-Till Corn Planting Trash Talk (2003)
Uneven Corn Fields (1999)
Soil Temperature, Corn Emergence, & Stand Problems (1999)
Erotic Corn Fields (1998)
More Thoughts on Corn Root Development in 1995. (1995)
Tall Corn, Short Corn, Green Corn, Yellow Corn. (1995)

Grain fill period

Field Drydown of Mature Corn Grain (2008)
Kernel Set Scuttlebutt (2008)
Late Planted Corn: Enough Time to Mature? (2008)
Grain Fill Stages in Corn (2007)
Grain Drydown, Stalk Lodging, and Harvest (2005)
Monitor Corn Fields for Weakened or Diseased Stalks (2005)
High Yield Potential Tempered For Some Fields (2004)
Long Ears, Blank Tips (2004)
Estimating Corn Grain Yield Prior to Harvest (2004)
Tassel-Ears in Corn (2004)
Yield Loss Potential During Grain Fill (2004)
Tip Fill Problems in Corn (2003)
Corn Fields Shutting Down (2003)
Corn Grain Moisture Outlook - 2003 (2003)
Stalk Health Issues in Stressed Corn (2003)
Scout Stressed Fields for Root & Stalk Rots (2002)
Photo Gallery: Kernel Abortion Due to Drought Stress (August 2002)
Photo Gallery: Poor Kernel Set Symptoms in Corn (2001)
Sexual Dysfunction in the Corn Field (2001)
Pollination Failure Due to Herbicide? (2001)

Growth staging, leaf staging, phenology, physiology

Corn and the Ugly Duckling (2009)
Corn Crop Continues Slow Progress (2008)
Late Planted Corn: Enough Time to Mature? (2008)
Ear Size Determination in Corn (2007)
Growing Points of Interest (2007)
Photo Gallery: Growing Point Location in Corn at Different Growth Stages (2007)
Tips for Staging Damaged Corn (2007)
Determining Corn Leaf Stages (2007)
Heat Unit Concepts Related to Corn Development (2007)
Use Thermal Time to Predict Leaf Stage Development in Corn (2007)
Tillers or "Suckers" in Corn: Good or Bad? (2003)

Hail damage

Photo Gallery: Recovery From Hail Damage (2008)
Recovery From Hail Damage to Young Corn (2008)
Rain, Hail, Wind: What Next? (2003)
Late-Season Hail Damage to Corn (2001)
Options for Hail-Damaged Corn Fields. (1995)

Harvest, grain drydown, yield estimation

Wet Grain a Surprise to Some Growers (2008)
Yield Losses and Harvesting Challenges for Severely Lodged Corn (2008)
Field Drydown of Mature Corn Grain (2008)
Grain Drydown, Stalk Lodging, and Harvest (2005)
Estimating Corn Grain Yield Prior to Harvest (2007)
Stalk Health Concerns (2004)
Nagging Reminder About Stalk Health Concerns (2003)
Corn Grain Moisture Outlook - 2003 (2003)
Stalk Health Issues in Stressed Corn (2003)
Scout Stressed Fields for Root & Stalk Rots (2002)
Transgenic Corn Harvest Reminders (2001)
It’s Never Too Late to Walk Your Fields (2000)
Unusual Senescence in Corn: Another Thought (1998)
Final Reminder to Spot Check Corn Fields. (1996)
Thoughts on the 1996 Corn Harvest (1996)

Herbicides & herbicide injury

Weather Delays and Rotation Restrictions (2002)
Nothing is Growing But the Weeds (2002)
Pollination Failure Due to Herbicide? (2001)
Herbicide Injury to Corn (1996)

Hybrid selection

Late Planting & Relative Hybrid Maturity Decisions (2009)
Hybrid Selection: Where's the Beef? (2008)
Take Notes from Corn Hybrid Plots (2006)
Take Time Now to Evaluate Hybrid Plots (2005)
Interpreting Hybrid Maturity Ratings (2002)
Hybrid Performance: Take Notes Now (2001)
Take the Time to Wander Crop Variety Plots(2000)

Leafing out underground

Spiraling Sub-Surface Seedlings (2000)
MULE Damage is Back! (1996)

Leaf discoloration

Possibility for Prevalence of Purple Plants (2003)
Isn’t Corn Supposed to be Green? (2000)
Silver Leaf Symptom in Corn (2000)
Corn That's Every Color But Green (1996)
More Thoughts on Stunted, Yellow or Purple Corn (1996)

On-farm research

A Practical Guide to On-Farm Research (2009)
Tips for Test Plots (2000)

Planting date issues

Time to Park the Corn Planters (2009)
Einstein's Theory of Relativity as it Relates to Soil Moisture (2009)
Late Planting & Relative Hybrid Maturity Decisions (2009)
Corn Planting Date is Important, But.... (2009)
Late Planted Corn: Enough Time to Mature? (2008)
Grain Sorghum Considerations for Late Planting in Southern Indiana (2008)
More Thoughts on Late Corn Planting (2008)
Considerations for Planting Corn into Damaged Fields of Wheat (2007)
Risk of Fall Frost Injury to Immature Corn Grain (2002)
Weather Delays and Rotation Restrictions (2002)
Agronomic Reasons Not to Switch From Corn to Soybean (2002)
Delayed Plantings and Crop Insurance (2002)
Plant Diseases Related to Wet Soils and Late Planting (2002)
Nothing is Growing But the Weeds (2002)
Pest Control in Late-Planted Corn and Soybean (2002)
Use No-till in Delayed Planting of both Corn and Soybean (2002)
Late-Planted Corn & Seeding Rates (2002)
Interpreting Hybrid Maturity Ratings (2002)
Rainy Days, Soggy Soils, & Idle Planters (2002)
Considerations for the Day of Planting (2002)
Thoughts on Corn Planting Dates (2001)
Corn Planting Fever! (2000)
When the Weather Breaks..... (1996)
Delayed Planting Management Ticklers (1996)
The Mad Rush to Plant Corn (1996)

Plant populations, seeding rates, seeding depth

Late-Planted Corn & Seeding Rates (2002)
Seeding Depth Decisions for Corn (2000)
Don't Let El Niño Influence Your Corn Seeding Rate (1998)
Seed Size, Seed Quality, and Planter Adjustments (1996)
Biased Opinion on Corn Seeding Depth (1996)

Pollination, silking, flowering

A Fast & Accurate Pregnancy Test for Corn (2007)
Tassel Emergence & Pollen Shed (2007)
Silk Emergence (2007)
Replanted Corn Fields Catching Up (2006)
Warm Enough For You? (2006)
Tassel-Ears in Corn (2004)
Some Droughty Fields Experiencing Silk Emergence Delay (2002)
Corn Suffering From Various Forms of WTMDS Syndrome (2002)
Scrambled Silks, Anyone? (aka Silk balling) (2000)
Photo Gallery: Scrambled Silks in Corn (2000)
Suggestive Behavior in the Corn Field (2000)
Silk Clipping & Pollination Success or Failure (1999)
Effects (or Lack Thereof) of Recent Heat Wave on Corn (1999)

Precision farming, site specific crop management, GIS

Yield Monitor Calibration: Garbage In, Garbage Out (2008)
Running Out of Rainy Day Jobs? (2006)
Tips for Test Plots (2000)
Sparse versus Dense Spatial Data (2000)
Opportunities for Mapping Crop Problem Areas (2000)
Consistent Variability: An Oxymoron or a Requirement for Precision Farming? (2000)
Site-Specific Management of Corn: Perennial versus Sporadic Yield Limiting Factors (1998)
Combine Yield Monitors, A Wonderful Tool, But..... (1995)
Site Specific Seeding Rates for Corn (1995)

Replanting issues

Replanted Corn Fields Catching Up (2006)
Late Planting/Replanting & Relative Hybrid Maturity (2006)
Corn Replant Decision-Making (2006)
Singin’ From The Same Sheet of Replant Music (2005)
I've Got the Corny Stand Establishment Blues... (2005)

Stand uniformity, planter maintenance

Variable Emergence Due to Variable Seedbed Moisture (2007)
Take Time to Evaluate Corn Stand Establishment (2006)
Planter Maintenance: Less Down Time, More Yield (2004)
No-Till Corn Planting Trash Talk (2003)
Diagnosing Stand Establishment Problems in Corn (2002)
End-of-Season Planter Care (2002)
Considerations for the Day of Planting (2002)
When Good Corn Fields Turn Bad (2001)
Keep an Eye on Those Corn Plants! (1998)
A Recipe for Lousy-Yielding Corn (1998)
Planter Issues Relative to Unusually Small Seed Corn (1998)

Tillage issues

Seed Furrow Erosion in No-Till Corn (2003)
No-Till Corn Planting Trash Talk (2003)
No-Till Corn Stand Establishment. I. Secrets for Success (1996)
No-Till Corn Stand Establishment. II. What's Unique About No-Till? (1996)
No-Till Corn Stand Establishment. III. Planting Date and Hybrid Selection (1996)
No-Till Corn Stand Establishment. IV. Planter Gadgets (1996)
Benefits of Cultivating Corn (1996)

Translucent kernel syndrome

Translucent Kernel Syndrome (1999)
Photo Gallery: Translucent Kernel Syndrome (1999)

Wheat Issues

Status of Indiana Winter Wheat Crop (2009)
Late Nitrogen Applications on Wheat (2008)