Will Corn Sustain Injury from Sand-Blasting?

The storm front passing through the state Monday, April 11 produced high winds which sand-blasted emerged corn plants, especially in fields with sandy soil texture.  This physical burning and shredding of exposed leaves is not likely to produce much substantive damage or yield loss, because the young corn plants’ critical growing points are still underground and thus, somewhat protected from vegetative damage.  The growing point of  young corn plants does not emerge about the soil surface until plants reach the V6 growth stage or are more than 12” tall.  This response is generally similar to other types of early-season vegetative damage, such as freeze, hail or post-emergence broadcast application of liquid nitrogen fertilizer, although the degree of desiccation and complications are likely less for sand-blasting. 

The potential for limiting plant development and grain yield is particularly low, if considerable green leaf area remains and growing conditions are favorable (warm and dry) for a week or more after the initial damage.   Favorable weather will promote development of new leaf growth.  On the other hand, flooding, soil saturation, cool temperatures and cloudy weather will limit growth, and if no live leaf tissue is present for an extended time to produce energy, plants can starve to death.

Sand-blasting can burn and shred exposed leaf tissue, but will not likely limit yield, because the critical growing point is underground. New leaves will quickly develop given favorable growing conditions.