Flooded Corn and Chance for Survival

Chad Lee, Extension Agronomist, University of Kentucky

Flooded corn, Butler County, KY.
Image taken July 8, 2016
by Greg Drake,
ANR Extension Agent

Reports of flooded corn are coming in from around Kentucky. Corn survival is dependent on the crop stage, the depth of flooding, the duration of flooding and the soil type in the field as well as other factors. The following are some key points to corn survival after flooding.

Complete Submersion: A Short Window

Much of the corn flooded in Kentucky is between tasseling and blister stage (VT to R2). If temperatures were greater than 77 degrees F the likely will not survive 24 hours of complete submersion.  The Kentucky Mesonet reported the July 5, 6 and 7 daily average temperatures near 77 degrees for Butler, Caldwell, Christian Counties and Henderson counties. You still want to inspect the fields, but you may want to call the insurance adjuster as well. Normally, submerged corn is a bad option for silage because of the increased risk for Clostridium bacteria which hurts the fermentation process and increases the risk of botulism toxins.