Understanding Corn Growth Stages: Leaf Staging Methods and Considerations
Various leaf staging methods, including the Leaf Collar Method and Droopy Leaf Method, are used to identify corn plant growth stages. The Leaf Collar Method involves counting leaves with visible collars, while the Droopy Leaf Method considers leaves at least 40-50% exposed from the whorl. Factors like severe leaf damage and herbicide label restrictions can impact staging accuracy.
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Corn Growth Stages www.agremo.com April, 2020
Determing Corn Leaf Stages A number of classification approaches can be used to identify a corn plant growth stage. There are two basic methods for leaf staging corn that are used by agronomists in the field today. 1. Leaf Collar Method 2. Droopy Leaf Method The Leaf Collar Method is generally the most widely used method by university and agronomists. Leaf Collar Method is the method used by Agremo. References and Additional Information Agronomy Dept., Purdue Univ. https://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/timeless/VStageMethods.html Parts of a corn leaf.
Leaf Collar Method This method determines leaf stage in corn by counting the number of leaves on a plant with visible leaf collars, beginning with the lowermost, short, rounded-tip true leaf and ending with the uppermost leaf with a visible leaf collar. (Abendroth et al., 2011) Leaves within the whorl, not yet fully expanded and with no visible leaf collar are not included in this leaf staging method Young corn plant staged as V3 according to the collar method.
Droopy Leaf Method Like method of leaf staging begins with the short first leaf. Leaf counting then differs, though, by ending not with the uppermost leaf with a visible collar, but at that leaf that is at least 40 to 50 percent exposed from the whorl. In knee-high corn or older, the tip of this indicator leaf typically also droops or hangs down, thus I refer to this as the droopy leaf method. the leaf collar method, this Same plant, but staged as 4-leaf according to the "droopy" method
Staging Corn with Severe Leaf Damage Dead leaf tissue will not resurrect itself and will eventually slough off as the plants continue to grow. The question is whether the leaf stage of a recovered plant begins anew with the healthy leaves or whether the dead leaves (which may no longer be visible) should be counted. In other words, should a 3-leaf plant that has lost 2 leaves to frost injury now be considered a 1-leaf plant? If corn was a 3-leaf plant prior to the frost, physiologically it still is a 3-leaf corn plant after the frost, no matter how many lower leaves are damaged, dead, or otherwise missing. Corn with damaged leaves
What About Herbicide Labels? Growers confusion with leaf staging often originates with less than clearly described growth stage restrictions listed on herbicide labels (Ikely and Johnson, 2018). Label restrictions of older post-emergence herbicides typically ignored the short first leaf with the rounded tip and ended with the uppermost leaf that was at least 50% exposed from whorl. In essence, this was a bastardized droopy leaf method that resulted in roughly the same numerical leaf stage as the leaf collar method. Newer labels purport to define leaf stages according to the leaf collar method, but there is still some question about whether the short first leaf with the rounded tip is included. If in doubt with these newer herbicides, check with your agricultural chemical technical representative to verify which leaf staging method is appropriate for the herbicide you intend to use.
