Laying the Groundwork: How Nebraska Farmers Prepare for Planting Corn

Planting season is a critical time for Nebraska’s corn farmers, laying the foundation for the rest of the growing season.

Thorough preparation is the key to successfully planting corn. It involves extensive work — from preparing the soil to fine-tuning equipment — but it’s an essential part of the corn-growing process.

Here, we’ll look at the most common tasks for corn farmers as they get ready for planting — and, why those activities are so important to growing a healthy, bountiful corn crop.

When Do Farmers Start Preparing for Planting Season?

In Nebraska, the best time to plant corn is usually April or May. Exactly when to plant corn depends on location and weather, but those months are typically when the soil warms to the ideal temperature for corn germination, 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Farmer Michael Dibbern, of Wood River, Nebraska, does most of the preparations for his family’s corn and soybean operation in March, though they begin some activities shortly after the previous harvest. However, the bulk of his pre-planting activities happen in March.

“If we’re lucky, it can be early March, but it’s typically the mid-March time frame when the temperatures finally get high enough that the soil thaws out and get all the frost out of it,” he said.

How Farmers Prepare for Planting Corn

There are several activities that farmers do each year to prepare to plant corn. Tasks generally fall into two categories: soil preparation and equipment repair and maintenance.

Soil Prep

One of the first actions Dibbern makes in the field each year is preparing the soil. That includes removing residue from last year’s crop and repairing any damage to the field surface.

Some farmers use equipment to remove residue left over from last year’s harvest, but Dibbern uses cattle. An area rancher brings cattle to eat corn stalks, leaves and cobs in the Dibbern family’s cornfields from mid-October to February each year.

The timing of their departure works well, allowing Dibbern to access the fields by March to smooth out any ruts in the ground made by field equipment or water erosion.

Residue removal needs can vary from field to field. The need to remove residue can vary depending on the previous crop, previous weather (wet or dry), and soil type (sandy vs. clay-based). For example, soybeans have finer stems and leave very little residue behind and may not need cleaning up. Corn, however, with its thick stalks creates a lot more residue after harvest and may need to be reduced to allow the next crop to come up easily.

Repairing and Fine-Tuning Farm Equipment

At the end of each harvest, Dibbern usually looks over his corn farming equipment to see if it needs any major repairs or replacements. If that’s the case, he’ll try to start working on the equipment in his shop as early as January 1.

If no major repairs are necessary, he’ll start equipment maintenance in March or early April. That’s also when Dibbern focuses on fine-tuning the settings on the equipment, such as replacing or sharpening discs that dig into the ground and create a place for the seed or replacing a broken wheel on the planter. He shares the preparation activities with his father, Phil; grandfather, Jerry; and cousin, Chad.

“I don’t know if anyone else is like me, [but] I just like to get the planter to a point where I could just go and have confidence that everything is working,” he said.

Types of Field Equipment Farmers Prepare for Corn Planting

• Strip till machine: Sometimes, a strip till machine is used to prepare the soil for planting corn seeds. It tills a six to ten-inch-wide strip in the ground, mixing and loosening the soil in the narrow section of soil while leaving the ground on either side undisturbed.
• Planter: The planter cuts a narrow furrow, or groove for the corn seeds into the ground. It places seeds in the furrow at the precise spacing and depth Dibbern desires. Then, it closes the furrow and presses the seeds into the ground. Some planters also apply fertilizer to the crop.
• Tractors: Much of the farm equipment used throughout the year is pulled by tractors. It’s important to fix any mechanical issues a tractor has so it provides reliable service in the field.
• Seed and fertilizer tenders: A farming operation strives to work like a well-oiled machine, and that means supplies like seeds and fertilizer are often hauled out to the fields for easy access. They often are loaded onto a flatbed trailer, which are often pulled into the fields by a pickup truck. All these trailers need to be ready to roll for planting season.

Planting Preparation: The Foundation of Success

When it comes to corn planting preparation, Dibbern says the little things are important. Farmers need to be quick as they plant corn because of weather, but they also need to be precise. It’s important the seeds are placed at the ideal depth, so the seeds are protected, yet the young corn plants have enough energy to push through the soil surface to reach sunlight and begin to mature into a high-yielding crop.

Dibbern knows perfection is impossible, but it’s the goal. Thorough preparation in the months before planting season gives him the best shot of getting there.

“A little change can add up to that seed being placed as much as an inch too deep or an inch too shallow when you take into account the speed we’re going and the acres we’re trying to cover in a short amount of time,” Dibbern explained. “So, we like to think of it as you have all that time in the winter or before planting to get it right from the get-go, so you then at least have a chance for it to be as ideal as [possible].”