Corn roots can be damaged if planted in wet soil

May 02, 2013

Jumping the gun on corn planting can damage plant’s root systems. University of Missouri Extension cereal crops specialists Brent Myers and agronomy specialist Bill Wiebold are warning growers not to plant too soon, noting allowing soil to dry is important to mitigate harm to their plants’ root systems. Roots in compacted wet soil aren’t able to grow properly, which can also make them more vulnerable to disease.

While the planting season has started off slower compared to last year, Wieldbold tells farmers that there is no reason to panic, explaining that last year’s planting season shouldn’t be used as a yardstick. Wiebold has studied the effects of corn planting dates and has found that weather conditions in July and August affect corn yield more than the planting date. He says there is still time to plant corn as intended and cautions against quick decisions to switch corn acreage to other crops like soybeans.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.