Grain yield and profit potential increase as total season length increases to provide greater total interception of solar radiation. Increases harvest index contributes directly to increased yield. Plant height is reduced due to the low temperature affect on early growth. This results in less potential for lodging and greater tolerance to high plant populations. Early planting results in a broad choice among alternative hybrids.
Early planting allows replanting with the first-choice hybrids.
Early planting generally results in an avoidance of high temperature and drought stress during pollination. All of these strategies improve the efficiency of N fertilizer use by the crop. This preserves a cationic nitrogen form which is held on the exchange sites of soil clay and organic matter. Less N loss through leaching and denitrification results. Dry soil conditions.