Fontanelle
Making the difference for you
Corkscrewed or Twisted Corn Seedlings
December 31, 1969
By Neal Borgmeyer, Regional Agronomist
Corn emerges by the elongation of the mesocotyl that pushes the coleoptile or “spike” to the soil surface. Many times during a cool, wet spring, farmers see mesocotyls that are twisted in the shape of a corkscrew. Eventually the plant leafs out underground causing the seedling to die. There are several possible causes of corkscrewed seedlings:
• Soil Crusting- Corkscrewing can occur when the coleoptile encounters a hard crust as the mesocotyl elongates.
• Temperature Fluctuations- When soil temperatures fluctuate from high to low abnormal mesocotyl and or coleoptile development can occur as the coleoptile searches for warmer soil.
• Herbicide Injury- Pre-emergent grass herbicides can affect seedling shoot development. This is more common with cool weather and wet soil conditions that slow seedling growth
As you are scouting your corn, keep an eye open for Black cutworm feeding since there have been some reports of Black Cutworm activity on newly emerged corn seedlings (Black Cutworm Activty Reported).