Field corn is grown in the United States on more acres than any other crop. Minnesota ranks 5th in the country for total acres devoted to corn.
Field corn is grown for feed, silage, and processing.
A better understanding of corn growth and development has accompanied recent advances in fertilization techniques, insect and disease management, and seed production. Corn growth staging begins with VE, or emergence of seedlings above ground. The second growth stage is V1, and is given to plants that display their first collared leaf. Later stages may be more difficult to identify as older leaves are dropped. The final vegetative stage is VT, or tassling stage , and occurs 2-3 days before silking when tassels are present at the top of the plants.