Video – How to Identify Corn Vegetative Growth Stages
This video shows how to identify vegetative growth stages of corn or sorghum in the field. In this case we inspect two different examples of corn that have progressed into rapid growth stages.
Back to homepage
Corn
How to Determine Corn Vegetative Growth Stages
Vegetative growth stages of corn are determined by counting the number of fully emerged leaves with leaf collars present. It is important to appreciate this methodology since it is a basis for timing many management practices, including herbicide application, sidedress fertilizer, and others.
Cover Crop Termination and Preparation for Planting
Cover crops may improve soil health and water quality and are being grown on more acres. However, their growth extends into the spring and will present challenges for primary crops, depending upon how you handle them. We are researching cover crops, so you can manage them to optimize results for row crop systems.
2025 MSU Corn Hybrid Demonstration Program Results
Mississippi State goes to great lengths to evaluate corn hybrid performance, so you have good information to make decisions which improve the profitability of your farm. These Hybrid Demonstration trials are grown in numerous on-farm locations throughout the state so you can assess performance of our region’s most elite hybrids. Complete results, including yields and plant characteristics from this year’s trials are published here.
Row Crop Short Course Registration Reminder
This is your last chance to pre-register for the upcoming MSU Row Crop Short Course. Please take the opportunity to register free of charge.
2026 MSU Short List of Suggested Corn Hybrids
This publication lists those corn hybrids which have demonstrated superior performance in the Mississippi Corn for Grain Hybrid Trials. No other source tests as many hybrids representing today’s choices in the market. Thus, this is a great starting point and barometer for you to judge performance and select the best corn hybrids for your farm.
2025 Yield Results from the MSU Corn Hybrid Demonstration Program
Mississippi State goes to great lengths to evaluate corn hybrid performance. These Corn Hybrid Demonstration trials are grown in numerous on-farm locations throughout the state where you can better analyze hybrid performance of our region’s most elite hybrids. Preliminary grain yield results from this year’s trials are published here.
Southwestern Corn Borer Monitoring – Week ending 8/16/2025
Southwestern Corn Borer Trapping Program Week Ending August 9, 2025 County Traps Reporting Total Reported Avg/Trap Maximum/Trap Alcorn 3 0 0 0 Copiah 3 0 0 0 Lowndes 2 0 0 0 Madison 3 1 0.33 1 Marshall 2 0
Southwestern Corn Borer Monitoring – Week Ending 8/9/2025
Southwestern Corn Borer Trapping Program Week Ending August 9, 2025 County Traps Reporting Total Reported Avg/Trap Maximum/Trap Alcorn 3 0 0 0 Desoto 2 0 0 0 Lowndes 4 0 0 0 Madison 3 0 0 0 Marshall 3 0
Southwestern Corn Borer Monitoring – Week ending 8/2/2025
Southwestern Corn Borer Trapping Program Week Ending August 2, 2025 County Traps Reporting Total Reported Avg/Trap Maximum/Trap Alcorn 3 0 0 0 Calhoun 1 0 0 0 Desoto 2 0 0 0 Grenada 4 0 0 0 Hinds 2 0
Southwestern Corn Borer Monitoring – Week ending 7/26/2025
Eighty-three traps across 29 Mississippi counties detected very low southwestern corn borer activity. Only five counties reported the presence of moths, with Leflore reporting the highest count (8 moths in 9 traps). Since most of the state’s corn is approaching
Southwestern Corn Borer Monitoring – Week ending 7/19/2025
Southwestern Corn Borer Trapping Program Week Ending July 19, 2025 County Traps Reporting Total Reported Avg/Trap Maximum/Trap Alcorn 3 0 0 0 Calhoun 1 0 0 0 Carroll 2 2 1 2 Coahoma 4 0 0 0 Copiah 3 0
Southwestern Corn Borer Monitoring Program – Week Ending 7/12/2025
Trapping results this week indicate very low southwestern corn borer activity across the state, with only a few isolated instances of minimal trap catches in Leflore, Madison, and Tallahatchie counties. These findings suggest that southwestern corn borer populations remain well
USDA Releases 2025 June Acreage Report
On June 30th, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its annual June Acreage report, providing the first official survey-based estimate of actual planted acreage for the 2025 crop year. The June report provides a critical benchmark by presenting
Will we need to Irrigate our Corn this Year?
As the corn crop nears maturity, knowing whether you need to roll poly pipe out or when you can safely terminate irrigation, without sacrificing yield, or wasting money is likely the most important decision that will affect your bottom line. This article outlines the steps needed to help make these decisions accurately and reliable.
Southwestern Corn Borer Monitoring – Week Ending 6/28/2025
Southwestern corn borer trap counts continue to remain low across the state.
Southwestern Corn Borer Monitoring Program – Week Ending 6/14/2025
Trap deployment began this week, so minimal trap numbers are being reported. However, no corn borers were detected in the limited traps that were reported.
Corn irrigation initiation and strategies for 2025
At the first hint of summer weather, there is often a rush to replenish moisture in corn fields with irrigation. However, this year rains have delayed needs for corn irrigation much later than normal. Since most corn has now tasseled, how will this affect irrigation management?
Managing Tassel Shots and Nitrogen Concerns for Corn
As the Mississippi corn crop approaches tassel, crop health and weather may greatly affect crop response to various management inputs, including nitrogen fertilizer or other products. This article will discuss factors that may affect your strategy and improve your chance for a profitable response.
Improving Corn Response to Nitrogen Fertilizer
Corn response to nitrogen fertilizer is a dynamic situation that becomes considerably more challenging when rain is plentiful. This article gives recommendations to improve corn response to nitrogen fertilizer and reduce risks in the Midsouth.
How late can we plant corn?
When rain or other issues limit planting opportunities, you may be wondering how to proceed with crop planting intentions. This publication helps address that question by explaining how corn responds to late planting when grown in different production systems based upon research conducted at Mississippi State University.
Three Proven Methods to Improve Corn Profitability
In these tough economic times we devote considerable effort to trimming the fat and focusing inputs where they will improve return on investment. The limiting factors will vary, but these are some of many potential factors which are very important.
Cover Crop Termination and Preparation for Corn Planting
Cover crops can improve soil health and water quality and are being grown on more acres. However, their growth extends into the spring and may present challenges for primary crops, depending upon when you decide to terminate them with a burndown herbicide. We have been researching these dynamics so that we may implement strategies to realize benefits while minimize risk for corn production.
