As summer arrives on June 21, 2013, I am observing a phenomenon occurring in some of our corn fields.
Observations
The event I am seeing is that the last emerged corn leaf is light green or almost white colored. The cause for these light colored leaves is good growing conditions for the plant.
The light colored leaf has emerged prior to full development of the chlorophyll in the leaf. After a day or so, the chlorophyll will fully develop and then the leaf will turn green.