Sweet Corn Crop Guide

Estimated Cost $500 to $1000 per acre up to harvest
Harvest Season Spring season is May to July; Fall Season is October
Market Outlets Food service, grocery stores, farmers markets, roadside, pick-your-own
Market Potential Good for local sales of high quality product
Yield Potential 240-300 crates/ac (5 doz ears/crt)
Profit Potential $0 to $1,200 per acre
Adapted Areas Statewide
Labor Requirements 2 man-days per acre during harvest, machine harvest potential
Equipment Requirements Tractor, shredder, disk, bedder, planter, insect/disease sprayer, cultivator
Soil Requirements Medium to heavy soils preferred
Water Requirements Sweet corn needs 20 – 35 acre-inches of water. Critical water peaks are during pre-tassle and kernel fill.
Minimum Size 1 acre hand harvest – 20 acre for mashine harvest
Risk Factor Moderate to high.
Other Limiting Factors Hot weather above 90 degrees F causes standard sweet corn varieties to rapidly become starchy so refrigeration may be necessary to maintain quality. Sh2 and Se types do not require immediate refrigeration. The corn earworm is constantly a threat to quality and marketability and is very difficult to control. Resistant varieties containing BT technology now available.
Comments Popular in local market sales.

Comments are closed.