Planting depth and within‐field soil variability impacts on corn stand establishment and yield

Seedbed conditions during corn (Zea mays L.) planting can have substantial impact on stand establishment and final yield. Planting management decisions are complex due to spatial variability caused by changing soil characteristics such as texture or landscape position. Field experiments conducted in central Missouri from 2017 2019 assessed the effects of varying depths Sites included fine- coarse-textured alluvial soils, summit, back, foot slope positions Alfisol claypan landscapes. On soil, deep (7.6 cm) often had most uniform timely emergence. Shallow (3.8 least emergence was particularly troublesome fine-textured under warm conditions. Under these conditions, grain yield for one site-year 2.8 Mg ha–1 less when shallow compared with deep. position study, affected both cool growing period. During enhanced uniformity rate (1.1 d reach 90% than planting); opposite true (3.7 more). Yield not depth at any site-years study. These results indicate that certain textures require greater attention achieve optimum establishment. Differences could be used on-the-go planter prescriptions. findings also demonstrate despite early differences, stands compensate maintain similar