When does irrigating corn actually pay?
Corn water-use curves, critical windows around tassel, and end-of-season shutoff timing. Free from the FieldCommandCenter agronomy team.
The short answer
Corn's make-or-break window is the two weeks either side of tasseling (VT–R2). A hot, dry week during pollination can cost more yield than a dry month during vegetative growth — Kansas State and Nebraska data put the loss at up to 6–8% of yield per day of severe stress at silking.
Peak use runs 1.5–2.0 inches per week, but only the pollination window justifies watering ahead of the deficit.
What's in the full guide
- The seasonal corn water curve by growth stage and GDDs
- Hot-week ceilings — how much a stressed week can actually use
- Watering ahead of the deficit vs. catching up: when each is right
- Grain-fill taper and shutoff timing
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