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Early Growth of Corn as Affected by Soil Temperature¹

ABSTRACT

Corn growth was measured in 23 location-years in the eastern United States, where an average soil temperature reduction of 2.2°F. at the 4-inch depth was obtained by a straw-mulch treatment as compared to unmulched treatments during the first 6 weeks following planting. For soil temperatures ranging from 60° to 83°F., the ratio of the dry matter produced on the mulched treatment to that produced on the unmulched treatment was linearly related to the 4-inch soil temperature. The validity of this linear relation was supported by data from experiments in the greenhouse and laboratory where growth of corn was observed under carefully controlled temperatures. For field conditions, a corn growth vs. soil temperature relation was constructed from the above linear relation, and the estimated optimum soil temperature for corn growth (dry matter production) was 81.3°F.

The effect of soil temperature on four different growth measurements (height, dry matter production, yield of N, and yield of K) of corn was different for each growth measurement in both the field and the greenhouse.

¹ Contribution of the Soil and Water Conservation Research Division, ARS, USDA, in cooperation with the Iowa Agr. and Home Econ. Exp. Sta., and the Minnesota Agr. Exp. Sta. Journal Paper No. J. 4520 of the Iowa Agr. and Home Econ. Exp. Sta., Ames, Iowa. Presented before Div. VI and I, Soil Science Soc. Am., Ithaca, New York. August 1962.

² Soil Scientists, Soil and Water Conservation Research Division, ARS, USDA, Headquartered at Morris, Minn., and Ames, Iowa. The authors express their appreciation to Elton A. Hallauer, Digital Computer Programmer, for the computations made on the data from field experiments.

Received for publication May 2, 1963. Accepted for publication August 27, 1963.