CROP PRODUCTION 157 



Illinois is one of the two leading corn-producing states of the 

 world, with an annual total yield of more than 355,000,000 bushels. 

 Since corn is our great staple, it is natural that our most extensive 

 studies should center in its physiological behavior. Strange as it may 

 seem, there has been little investigational work on corn to determine 

 the normal requirements of the crop. It is doubtful if we can find 

 data which show the best temperature for the germination test of corn. 

 Seed corn should always be germinated before being planted in the 

 field. What is the most desirable temperature for this operation? 

 Should the temperature be 75 or 85, and what influence will the 

 temperature relationships have on the accuracy of the results? Certain 

 we are of the fact that very little is known of the temperature re- 

 quirements of the plant in its several life stages. Through the whole 

 literature on corn, you may search for this kind of information, with 

 little or no success. 



Just as the physician understands the human body, so must the 

 agronomist understand the plant body. If we are to understand the 

 abnormal, or the plant in sickness, so must we understand the healthy 

 or normal, because it is on the normal behavior that our recommenda- 

 tions for management are based. 



Much has been written about the selection and storage of seed 

 corn, but we find nowhere in literature data on which to make a safe 

 recommendation. At what temperature should seed corn be stored 

 for the maintenance of maximum germination and vigor? When 

 seed corn is brought in from the field, how rapidly should it be dried 

 and at what temperature? What temperature and moisture content 

 should be maintained throughout the winter months? A line of 

 work now under way shows clearly that there is danger of reducing 

 too much the moisture content of seed corn. Corn dried to six per 

 cent moisture previous to storage was slower in absorbing water and 

 more tardy in germination than similar corn stored when it contained 

 twice the quantity of water. The total percentage germination was 

 lower and the vigor of the young plants was slightly less in the low- 

 moisture corn. On the other hand, another lot of the same corn 

 which contained nineteen per cent water when it was stored did not 

 do so well as the dry corn, even tho the processes of germination were 

 more rapid. This indicates that the proper quantity of moisture for 

 retaining vigor of seed corn in storage is nearer twelve per cent than 

 either six or nineteen. In other words, the best quantity of water 

 in corn to permit the proper amount of physiological activity in the 

 seed to insure the nourishment of the young plantlet and keep it at 

 its best, is about twelve per cent. 



