Corn roots will penetrate to a depth of 2 to 3 feet if not restricted. Many Mississippi soils that are suitable for row crops are low in native fertility but will respond to good fertility management. Class 4 may be used in some cases with intensive management. Other land classes should not be planted to corn when the present recommendations for production are applied. Vicksburg Vicksburg Preparation Seedbed preparation varies.
Hard pans occur naturally in some soils.
Other soils, such as sandy loams, loams, and silt loams, may develop a traffic pan from continuous shallow cultivation, disking, grazing cattle, and possibly other reasons. If there is a plow pan or traffic pan, subsoil the field in the fall when the soil is dry so that the pan will be shattered. Subsoiling when soils are wet will only slice through the pan and not be as effective as shattering the pan. Destroying the hard pan increases moisture accumulation in the soil and allows deeper root penetration by the following crop. Increased moisture accumulation and root penetration reduce the dry weather hazards that can occur during the growing season.