Nearly one in three corn plantings (32%) over the past five years was not finished by the grower’s preferred completion date, with wet soil conditions the primary cause, according to the survey sponsored by Landec Ag, developers of Intellicoat® Early Plant® corn. In 2005, one of four growers (25%) didn’t finish their planting operations by the preferred date.
Check out the availability of Early Plant Corn from our Seed Partners.
Intellicoat technology uses a patented temperature activated polymer that regulates the
permeability of water into the seed as a function of temperature. When the soil is below the
preset temperature (55 degrees Fahrenheit) the coating restricts water entering the seed
preventing germination. When the soil warms above the pre-set temperature (above
55
degrees), the coating becomes permeable, allowing the seed to take up water and germinate
under optimum conditions.
Most important, because this change is strictly of a physical rather than chemical nature, it is reversible. If the soil temperature drops below 55 degrees, the polymer will return to a crystalline form to restrict water and suspend the germination process. The process may move forward and reverse until the seed has absorbed enough water to germinate.
The Intellicoat Early Plant polymer coating is designed to change its permeability based on whether or not the soil is warm enough for healthy corn seedling growth.
View an Intellicoat plot evaluation.
