Emergence of corn seedlings in different depths of sowing

Proper planting is one of the factors which most influence crop yield, and the depth of seed deposition is of utmost importance. Variation in sowing depth provide the seeds with different contents of water in the soil for germination and seedling survival. Based on these considerations, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sowing depth on emergence of corn seedlings. The experiment was carried out at Lageado Experimental Farm in the College of Agricultural Sciences - UNESP/Botucatu-SP, using ten treatments and four replicates in a completely randomized experimental design. Sowing depths ranged from 2 to 8 cm. Corn was sown manually and evaluations of seedling emergence were performed from the 5th to the 13th day after sowing. The results showed that sowing between 6 and 8 cm deepled to higher speed of emergence and total emergence of plants, which were favored by higher levels of soil water.