Crust Busting

Crust Busting

It's a frustrating scenario for any corn grower: the crop is planted, it's germinated and ready to poke through the soil surface, but heavy rains followed by quick drying can create an impenetrable crust.

Growers hesitate to bust crust early because they worry about damaging the crop. Corn can take some damage during crust busting and remain viable. If you break or damage the spike tip, you haven't necessarily injured the growing point which is still well below the soil surface. Soybeans are different - if you damage the "arch", it's toast.

While you won't kill the corn seedling by damaging the spike tip, it will make it tougher for the plant to emerge if it has to push a jagged or rough tip through more soil.

Look at the forecast - if there is a good chance of rain followed by overcast conditions, maybe you do nothing, especially if the tip is really close to the surface. With no rain in sight - your best bet is to get at it.

The degree of aggressiveness of the crust busting operation relates to how close the spike tip is to the surface. If the shoot is just getting going (post germination), you can be aggressive and this might be the best timing for crust busting. It's much worse to wait too long and lose 25% of your stand due to crust busting or have 25% of the stand emerge late, weak and ugly because you waited too long. If you are going to bust a crust, there is no advantage to waiting. Waiting creates a non-uniform stand. Those plants that have emerged will jump ahead of those still trying to bust through the crust. There is a point where you are better off with lower, more uniform population than a higher population that is uneven.

Everyone wants to know what piece of equipment to use to break a tough crust.

It's not so much about picking a specific tool; it's more about figuring out what you are trying to achieve. All of the following have been used successfully (and unsuccessfully)

• Rotary hoe - if this tool is to work, it has to be done early.
• Culti-packer
• Coulter-carts
• No-till drill
• Planter
• Harrows of all kinds and descriptions.

There is no single piece of iron that is the right choice in every crusting situation. Try something. If it doesn't work, try something else.

A Crusty Strategy

If you have a field that you believe is at serious risk of forming a crust and has been planted to a herbicide tolerant hybrid you may have an option worth considering. There are two herbicide tolerant corn systems to consider: Roundup Ready and

LibertyLink. If you run into a major crust problem and you have already planted seed from one of these herbicide tolerant systems, wheel the planter out and go back in and plant a second hybrid that is from the OTHER herbicide system. For example, if you planted LibertyLink first, plant Roundup Ready when you go back in. Plant on the same rows. Hopefully the planter will be sufficient to break the crust and give you a second chance to get a decent first stand. Now you have two potential stands and the next step is to wait, see which stand is best, then kill the rest.

If the crust busting action of the planter rescues the initial LibertyLink planting, simply spray Liberty to kill the second Roundup Ready hybrid once it emerges. If that second planting turns out to be more uniform and successful, use Roundup to kill the struggling initial LibertyLink hybrid.

Crop insurance reseeding benefits help this strategy.