Early assessment of corn and soybean stands can help identify potential crop concerns early in the season. Once seedlings emerge, stand counts and visual inspection of the plants can help to identify problems from planting, insects, and/or diseases. 

Late planting of corn can occur every year due to various delays. Usually, the delay is caused by weather and most of the time it is the result of precipitation, either too much or not enough. Occasionally other factors, like replacing a failed stand with corn or replanting corn due to a poor stand, lead to later than planned planting.  

Corn has a fibrous root system. Restrictions below ground affect early growth of nodal roots and lead to stunting of corn seedlings.