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We’re back looking at another rootless corn
plant. Now this plant ... I’m going to try to count the V stages
and I’m not sure I even can because it’s just such a physiologically messed up plant. Look what it was hanging on by ... I, I, I didn’t even really pull it. It fell off
into my hand but let’s say there’s one.., let’s say there’s one, which is gone, two three, four collars. I’m counting collars.
This is a collar. Let’s say this is the 4th collar. Let’s say this corn is V4-V5. Vegetative growth 4 to vegetative growth 5.
Which also means there should be 4-5 sets of nodal roots below the ground. There’s the nodal root development trying to support this plant.
Even if this plant survived. Let’s say we got an inch of rain tonight and soil washed back in here and somehow it stayed alive. This plant is trying right now to determine
how many rows of kernels go on its ear. How many rows of kernels do you think this plant is going to put on an ear? If typically this hybrid would generate
16 to 20 rows of kernels I think you can anticipate 12 or 14 rows or even less with this kind of energy NOT going in
to the plant, or this plant being robbed of nutrients and moisture. So, even if a lot of this stand survives
the yield of this field, if it’s got as much clay in it throughout the field as this spot right here, which you can see right where the planter ... look at that... you can still see the mark
on the sidewall compaction, it’s called side smear or sidewall compaction that’s the mark the planter left. You can still see it PERFECTLY. It must have been a little damp when
he planted. It must have been a little too damp when he planted. That sidewall smear is there. And even if it stayed… even if moisture
continued to feed the roots would have a hard time penetrating this sidewall smear. But now it got hot and dry and everything just started falling apart. But
the yield of this field, even of the surviving individual plants out here is going to be greatly curtailed.