Published May 2004 (Rev. May 2007)

Growing Point Location in Corn at Different Growth Stages

URL: http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/GrowingPointsGallery.html

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

he position of a corn plant's growing point region is crucial relative to the plant's susceptibility to above-ground damage. Initially, the growing point is located near the crown of a young seedling. At about leaf stage V4 (four visible leaf collars), stalk elongation begins and the position of the growing point elevates rather quickly over a very few number of leaf stages. This photo gallery illustrates the change in the position of the growing point relative to the leaf stage of a corn plant.

Click on image to open a larger version.

Very late V1 to early V2 corn plant.	Entire seedling of early V2 plant.
Crown of early V2 plant located about 3/4 inch below soil surface.	Split stem of early V2 plant, showing growing point region.
V4 leaf stage.	Growing point location within V4 plant, located near the top of the stalk tissue, of which internode elongation of the latter has only just begun.
V6 leaf stage.	Growing point location within V6 plant, though technically the growing point no longer exists once it completes tassel initiation at about V5.
V7 leaf stage.	Growing point location within V7 plant, though technically the growing point no longer exists once it completes tassel initiation at about V5.
V9 leaf stage.	Growing point location within V9 plant, though technically the growing point no longer exists once it completes tassel initiation at about V5.

Related References:

Nielsen, R.L. (Bob). 2007. Determining Corn Leaf Stages. Corny News Network, Purdue Univ. [On-Line]. Available at http://www.kingcorn.org/news/timeless/VStageMethods.html. (Verified 5/27/07).