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Producers Hybrids News
08.10.10
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Be on the Lookout for Soybean Diseases
While this season is progressing much quicker than last year, one thing is remaining the same – lots of rain. With the rain, several diseases a......
08.10.10
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Common, Weird and Unusual Spots Showing up on Corn
There have been several recent reports of leaf spots showing up on corn in addition to the eyespot and Goss’s wilt reported earlier this growin......
08.10.10
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Corn Maturity Chart
Click here to view a simple corn maturity chart....
08.10.10
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Soybean Maturity Chart
Click here to view a simple soybean maturity chart....
07.01.10
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Fungicide Use in Corn After Hail Events and Prior to Tasseling
With the frequent hail events that have pounded Nebraska corn fields, many have questioned whether a foliar fungicide should be applied to protect th......
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Agriculture Online News
Agriculture news and reports from Successful Farming
09.03.10
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Corn soars to 23-month high on crop outlook
09.01.10
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Corn yields disappoint in early harvest action
09.01.10
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China’s corn crop could grow
08.30.10
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Corn crop accelerating to the finish
08.27.10
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Wanted: High-quality new-crop corn
More News »
Purple Corn Plants
September 02, 2009
Purpling of corn plant tissue results from the formation of a reddish-purple anthocyanin pigments that occur in the form of water-soluble cyanidin glucosides or pelargonidin glucosides. A hybrid’s genetic makeup greatly determines whether corn plants are able to produce anthocyanin. A hybrid may have none, one, or many genes that can trigger production of anthocyanin. Purpling can also appear in the silks, anthers and even coleoptile tips of a corn plant.
What triggers the production of the anthocyanin in young corn early in the season? The answer is not clearly understood, but most agree that these pigments develop in young plants in direct response to a number of stresses that limit the plants’ ability to fully utilize the photosynthates produced during the day. These stresses include cool night temperatures, root restrictions, and water stress (both waterlogged and droughty conditions).
It has been my experience that the combination of bright, sunny days and cool nights when corn ranges from V3 to V6 in development (3- to 6-leaf collar stages) most commonly results in plant purpling. Hybrids with more anthocyanin-producing genes will purple more greatly than those with fewer“purpling” genes. In most cases, the purpling will slowly disappear as temperatures warm and the plants transition into the rapid growth phase (post-V6).
Source:
Bob Nielsen, Extension Corn Production Specialist, Department of Agronomy, Purdue University
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