Winter is returning to the northwestern corn belt adding to farmer’s concerns about planting delays in the region. Pioneer Field Agronomist Curt Hoffbeck says it’s still too early for farmers to panic or abandon their original cropping plans.

He says farmers changing corn maturities too soon risk yield loss and so they need to evaluate that decision carefully.

Hoffbeck says while the window may be closing on the yield advantages derived from early planting before April 15, the corn crop still has good yield potential.

Hoffbeck says when farmers get into the fields he suggests planting the corn hybrids first that have good stress emergence scores.