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Green Snap Damage
Green snap or "brittle corn" are terms often used to describe the breakage of corn stalks caused by high winds primarily during the elongation (rapid growth) period of vegetative growth. Green snap can occur at most any vegetative stage after the growing point reaches the soil surface (8 inches tall), but corn usually is most susceptible from the 14-leaf to tassel stages. Rapidly growing plants, adequately supplied with water and nutrients are predisposed to green snap. Cells at each node site are rapidly dividing. As the new cells push-up and elongate to form internodes thus increasing plant height and leaf exposure. These cells when growing rapidly will be thin-walled at first with little strength tissue or fiber. Therefore they become quite vulnerable to breakage by wind, cultivation, anhydrous application or any physical activity that bends the stalk. At night they are extremely vulnerable since the plants are turgid, which means full of water. During mid-day they are less susceptible as the cells are less-full of water and stalks are more flexible.
Corn being grown under the best conditions of plentiful moisture, high N rates, warm temperatures and optimum plant populations are vulnerable to green snap. Usually breakage occurs just below the primary ear node site. Some hybrids appear to have a longer time period when the stalks are susceptible to breakage. Most corn seed companies test/screen using artificial green snap tests to eliminate those corn lines that tend to have weaker stalks.
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