High temperatures, drought stress, genetics, and plant populations can all contribute to early ear drop. Most instances of this were found during the dent stage and can be attributed to very dry conditions since the beginning of August, combined with warm temperatures, which caused the crop to mature very quickly. Early ear drop hit the hardest in the last week of August during a hot week (relative to the time of year) with temps in the mid 90’s for five to seven days. The intense heat, along with present drought stress in many fields, appears to be the cause of the early ear drop.
https://www.lgseeds.com/agronomy/corn/corn-early-ear-drop
06 OCT 2020
Causes of Early Ear Drop
High temperatures, drought stress, genetics, and plant populations can all contribute to early ear drop. Most instances of this were found during the dent stage and can be attributed to very dry conditions since the beginning of August, combined with warm temperatures, which caused the crop to mature very quickly. Early ear drop hit the hardest in the last week of August during a hot week (relative to the time of year) with temps in the mid 90’s for five to seven days. The intense heat, along with present drought stress in many fields, appears to be the cause of the early ear drop.